Challigraphy -The Inner Attitude

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I have always been surprised that in Japan the result often counts less than the effort, which I like to think of as our inner attitude. For example, if someone tackles a new project, we say “Good luck” but in Japan, they say “Gambatte Kudasai”, which translates to “Make an effort/Do your best”.

Two different cultures – two different ways of approach.

If you learn calligraphy in Japan, there are competitions but the jury does not look at whether the form of the font, the result, is good, but instead the juror pays attention to the brushwork when writing. On one hand, the brushwork reveals whether you have learned from a good teacher, but on the other hand, it also shows your inner concentration and posture. It makes visible whether the writer is centered, and whether the posture is consistent. It shows whether thoughts disturb the flow of writing, or if every cell of the body “flows” along.

The beauty of a Japanese tea bowl comes from the attitude of the ceramist who created the bowl. Without any effort to form a special bowl, the bowl arises from the inner being of the artist. The human being and the process are one.

How do you practice this posture? The ideal way to do this is Zazen. Zazen is not a quick-fix exercise that you learn on a weekend. It takes a long time, months, years, decades. It’s a “Sitting Zen.”

In “sitting” we learn the unity of outside and inside, of will and non-will (not always easy) of wanting to achieve and lack of intention. We immerse ourselves in moments in which the Zen exercises and we become one, and ultimately the practice disappears as well as the acting person.

I relearned calligraphy first the wrong way, self-thought of course. I thought it would be just another form of cursive writing, but it is not. My attitude was wonderful but my brushstrokes – and the end result – made every experience calligrapher frown.

Later on, I re-learned calligraphy the right way. By then I had to break my old habits until I was finally able to use the handful of brushstrokes – ups and downs – the right way. That’s when everything suddenly made sense.

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Pressure at the downstroke, no pressure at the upstroke. Who would have thought that only a few basic strokes are all you need to know.

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Making an effort and not judging the result, it’s not easy but slowly I shifted to a completely different level and then I asked myself, “Does this have a parallel in everyday working life or at home?” Do I always focus on the end result or do I also pay attention to how I achieve this result?

I restore furniture for a living and you would think that over the years I would have become a master of my craft. Perhaps I am, in other people’s eyes, but not in mine. I don’t look at myself that way because no matter how hard I try, and how long I work on a piece, I am never completely satisfied with the end result. My customers are often full of praise and they are stunned when they look at the old pieces that now look brand-new again, but I stand beside them and only see imperfection. With every single piece that leaves my workroom, I can list what I could have done better and with that, I rob myself of the most wonderful reward there is – the feeling of fulfillment.

I still work and I give classes, and the first thing I tell my students now is to not be in their own way because if we only focus on the result, we become our own worst critic, and then we take the joy away.

“Gambatte Kudasai”

There is a lot to learn from other cultures. The anger so many of us feel every day, when we are upset when something doesn’t go our way, may it be in politics or may it be just the barista who doesn’t make our coffee the way we ordered.

We get upset, we get angry and too often we share our negative feelings with everybody around us who is forced to listen.

Most people make an effort and we should try to remember that. The result may not always be to our liking but surely we can appreciate that someone tried to do the best. Right?

“Gambatte Kudasai” Yes, I will make an effort!