30by30: 8.) Calligraphy postcards and seasonal haiku

In 2009, when I began studying chanoyu (the Japanese Tea Ceremony, or the Way of Tea), I started out taking an introductory class with my Sensai that covered many grab bag basics of Japanese culture. One of the things that we tried our hands at was calligraphy. Samurai would study tea and calligraphy as a means to attain balance along with their martial arts study. My Sensai took Calligraphy lessons in Kyoto and he said that you could never truely know a stroke until you wrote it 1,000 times. Thus, 1,000 ichis was born for her (or writing the word "one" 1,000 times!).

Sensai had a wonderful idea that I am copying. For four years (from 2002-2005), she focused on one word to learn in calligraphy. She would practice and practice the strokes of that one word and then, after she felt that she had mastered it, she would send a postcard to everyone with the calligraphy on the front in that beautiful black ink on a white notecard. On the back would be written the word in hiragana, it's essence in English and also a corresponding seasonal haiku or zen phrase written on the back. I don't plan on sending them to people. Not until I get some practice and I think doing the ones from 2000 will be a good starting point. By the end, Sensai was sending them to 75 people and she said it was getting out of control. I don't have the money or the patience to commit to that right now.

I thought this would be great fun if I went back to the start of the Millenium with the year 2000, I know (13 years! What am I thinking?) and do one for each month. I've already picked out each word and haiku for the last 13 years (I stayed up until 2 am doing it) and I'm really excited to get started. I know this isn't something you learn in a day and it will really feel more for me like DRAWING rather then writing, but I think it will be great fun to see the development from 2000 to 2012 and onward from there.

It's the spirit of the art that counts, not its masterpiece. The new themes are announced by the Imperial family each year at the utakai hajime, the annual New Year's poetry selection.

2012: Shore (kishi)
2011: Leaf (ha)
2010: Light (hikari)
2009: Life (sei)
2008: Fire (hi)
2007: The Moon (tsuki)
2006: Smile (emi)
2005: Walking (ayumi)
2004: Happiness
2003: Town
2002: Spring
2001: Herbaceous Plants
2000: Time