Mrs Violet Ross, Head of Woolcock House and Calligraphy Club Coordinator
In my calligraphy, there is ink, tea, breathing, mindfulness, and concentration. Writing calligraphy is a practice of meditation … I think the word “wonderful” means full of wonders. If you are truly there in the moment, you can recognize so many wonders … So breathe in, bring your mind back to your body and you can touch many wonders. Thich Nhat Hanh
In our keyboard-driven society, calligraphy may seem a quaint anachronism. I would argue that this art, and others like it, bears scrutiny. It offers us, in miniature, a model for the kind of thoughtful activity we would like our girls to be doing. After all, Steve Jobs credited a calligraphy course he did at university with unlocking the creativity he later called upon when designing the first Macintosh computer (Schwebach, 2013).
Producing exceptional calligraphy requires skill and imagination, coupled with years of dedicated practice and commitment to the art. It aims to bring words to life and give them a character of their own. In alphabetic writing systems, we take a functional view of written characters, but the Japanese consider writing a reflection of a person’s inner nature (Tara, 2010). Styles, therefore, differ greatly from person to person and are highly individualistic. Good calligraphy will feature elements such as strong and clear straight lines, a natural balance in both the individual characters and the composition as a whole, a variance in the thickness and thinness of the strokes, a consistency in the amount of ink on the brush, and curved lines that are delicate and mobile (Hawker, 2012).
Japanese calligraphy, known as Shodō or ‘the way of writing’, was introduced to Japan during the seventh century but its Chinese roots are thought to date back to the thirteenth century BC (Tara, 2010). Japanese Calligraphy is not just about the neat handwriting and uniformity that we associate calligraphy with in the English language, it is the foremost art form in many Asian countries. It is greatly admired, and the works of esteemed calligraphers are displayed in galleries and museums, just like the works of Monet, Picasso and da Vinci. In fact, Pablo Picasso once said, ‘if I had been born Chinese, I would have been a calligrapher, not a painter’ (cited in The Confucius Institute, 2014).
Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s Calligraphy Club was established by Ms Yachiyo Takizawa and will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary next year. Perhaps one of the more unusual co-curricular activities offered at the School, it is made up of a relatively small group of dedicated members. During workshops, students meticulously hone their skills, thoughtfully practicing, taking great care with each stroke, and striving to perfectly form each character.
It is at this point, when one is so fully absorbed in creating a beautiful piece of art, that a state of flow can be achieved. ‘Flow’, a phenomenon first identified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi when he was researching creativity, occurs when we become completely immersed in a task — so immersed that we are not distracted by external factors like noise, discomfort, the passing of time, thoughts or emotions. ‘Flow’ states are not just associated with feeling good, but also with increased capability, creativity and performance (Manocha, 2013).
To write calligraphy with mastery, a state of flow and full awareness — mindfulness — must be achieved. There is a Zen-like concentration as the mind and body are unified and the characters are let flow onto the paper. This essentially meditative nature of calligraphy transcends aesthetics, making the practice of writing a spiritual exercise. This may seem a strange or hyperbolic statement, but the kind of focus and precision that calligraphy requires in applying but at the same time transcending technique, takes the practitioner out of the everyday. This transcendent aspect is worth considering, as ‘a line that manifests clarity cannot be drawn if the heart is clouded by worldly concerns’ (Tara, 2010, p 6).
Dominated as they so often are by just such ‘worldly concerns’, our busy, modern-day lives may be having a detrimental effect on our emotional wellbeing. Current Australian statistics indicate that, during any given year, one in five Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 will experience a mental illness — the most common being depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. The onset of mental illness typically occurs during mid-to-late adolescence and Australian 18 to 24 year olds have the highest prevalence of mental illness compared with any other age group (Black Dog Institute, 2012). Given these concerning statistics, addressing and promoting good mental health must be a key priority for schools and families alike.
Mindfulness can be a powerful weapon in both preventing and combatting these types of maladies, and it is increasingly recognised that mindful activities like calligraphy, are an effective way to reduce stress, increase self-awareness, enhance emotional intelligence and help effectively deal with difficult thoughts and feelings (Harris, 2008). This link is not speculative; the lived experiences of girls at our School, expressed in their own words, bear it out:
I’ve really enjoyed calligraphy because it gives me a temporary escape from other aspects of my busy life, enabling me to solely focus on one thing to the best of my ability. Practising calligraphy is repetitive. You write the same strokes over and over, you notice their inaccuracies and you notice your subtle improvements each time you put your brush to the paper.
After I finish a calligraphy session I feel quite calm and focused. The placid, relaxed pace of the sessions helps me to become less stressed.
Our Calligraphy Club is very fortunate to be under the expert instruction and guidance of Mr Eimatsu Kojima and his wife Fumiko — both Calligraphy Masters with a life-long dedication to their art. While 8th Dan is the highest rank for a Calligraphy Master, in 2005 Kojima-Sensei became one of the select 1.5 per cent of 8th Dan Calligraphy Masters to be promoted to the rank of 9th Dan Calligraphy Judge. It should also be mentioned that Fumiko-Sensei recently achieved her 8th Dan Calligraphy Master ranking.
Both instructors, and Kojima-Sensei in particular, have won numerous awards and their work is displayed each year in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Gallery. Despite Kojima-Sensei’s lofty rank in the calligraphy world, he continues to strive to reach higher heights, with his sights now set on the venerated Prime Minister’s Award in Japan. His persistence sets a wonderful example for our aspiring calligraphers — to keep striving for excellence — and demonstrates the rewards of life-long learning and achieving the exceptional.
Mr and Mrs Kojima love passing on their craft to novices and experienced calligraphers alike. We have a very open door policy and new members are welcome to join at any time. Five calligraphy workshops are held each term on a Thursday afternoon in the Cherrell Hirst Creative Learning Centre. These workshops are open to all year levels and students from both Brisbane Girls Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School are invited to attend.
Like all co-curricular activities on offer at Brisbane Girls Grammar School, calligraphy provides a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills. What we also offer is an opportunity for quiet contemplation, time to reconnect with one’s thoughts and emotions and achieve a calm, focussed mind amid the bustle of our daily lives. Again, in the words of some of our own budding calligraphers:
Calligraphy Club is a relaxing way to simply sit down and create beautiful works of art. Each word has its own significant meaning and the manner in which each character is formed is unique and beautiful.
Calligraphy Club has been quite exciting this year. I’ve progressed with my brush skills, and have more control over my hand now to make firmer, more precise strokes. The teachers have always helped me whenever I needed them, and I was proud of myself when I completed something that actually looked good. And of course, the community is great as well.
References
Black Dog Institute. (2012). Facts and figures about mental health. Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Factsandfiguresaboutmentalhealthandmooddisorders.pdf
Blue Cliff Monastery. (2013). Calligraphic Meditation: The Mindful Art of Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh Calligraphy. Retrieved from http://www.thichnhathanhcalligraphy.org/newyork/
Harris R. (2008). Mindfulness. The Happiness Trap. http://www.thehappinesstrap.com/mindfulness
Hawker G. (2012). Japanese calligraphy. Connecteglobe.com. http://www.connectedglobe.com/ohmori/intro1.html
Manocha R. (2013). Silence Your Mind. Sydney: Hachette Australia.
Schwebach L. S. (2013). The Creative Process of Steve Jobs. Bravely Creative. http://bravelycreative.com/2013/11/14/the-creative-process-of-steve-jobs/
Tara H. N. (2010). The Art of Japanese Zen Calligraphy. Retrieved from Academia.edu. http://www.academia.edu/6269836/The_Art_of_Japanese_Zen_Calligraphy
The Confucius Institute. (2014). Chinese Calligraphy. La Trobe University. http://www.latrobe.edu.au/confucius-institute/chinese-cultural-courses/chinese-calligraphy
Published 12 June 2014