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| Make your intentions pure; this is the teaching of all the buddhas |
Michael B.
Artist's Statement
As a calligrapher, I begin a piece of art by calming the mind. This can be achieved by using a variety of methods; however, I prefer the practice of zazen- or seated meditation- to achieve mental clarity. This practice allows one to focus all of one’s energies on the art, rather than on extraneous thoughts. While writing with the calligraphy brush, I am reminded of the Taoist concept of wuwei- or action through inaction. Rather than force the characters to take shape, I simply allow the hand to glide over the paper. Thus, one’s qi, or inner spirit, is used to create the work. For me, the only time a piece of work is completed is when it explains a concept that cannot be simply expressed through words. Thus, explaining the unexplainable is a key part of calligraphy practice. While mentoring at the Clarkston Community Center, the most salient difficulty was the language barrier. However, through patience and showing by example, I was able to communicate with the students in a way that transcended language- this indeed embodied our lessons in classical Chinese philosophy, and serves as an example of such philosophical study being used for the good of the community.
When I am fully concentrated on my work, I feel a sense of elevated consciousness that liberates the mind from everyday stresses and anxieties; thus, calligraphy is very much a form of dynamic meditation. When others view my work, I would simply like them to reflect on the quote and meditate on how it applies to their own lives. The direct translation of this piece is, “Purify the mind. That is the essence of Buddhist teachings.” Although this phrase is seemingly simplistic, I would like the viewer to try to hear the depth of what is meant behind the characters. To me, this process of reflection embodies the essence of calligraphy and self-cultivation.
白邁克
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Ana B.
Artist's Statement
To me, calligraphy has always been about creating something that is both aesthetically pleasing and able to communicate a message. The most fascinating piece of calligraphy work for me was that I was not just creating a piece of art that could be admired from an artistic standpoint, but also something that was a literal word, something with meaning. I picked the phrase “千里之行始于足下”（A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step) not only because I appreciated the meaning, but also because I found the characters beautiful, especially the character 之. I hope that viewers of the work will not only appreciate the visual attractiveness of the phrase, but also appreciate the deeper meaning of the phrase.
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| Go forward confidently in your intention |
Artist's Statement
Calligraphy allows me to find my inner peace and channel it into something constructive. No matter how stressful a day I may have had, it always feels so refreshing to sit at a table and calmly paint each stroke like it is my finest piece of artwork. While each stroke takes concentration, it also seems to flow naturally. Calligraphy has become an artistic outlet for my emotions, helping me find emotional balance. Teaching calligraphy has been much more rewarding; having the opportunity to offer such a valuable skill to others helps me see firsthand the calming impact that calligraphy has on one's nature, as well as the impact that I can have as a teacher. Each time I work, I feel that I am undergoing self-cultivation and truly getting to know myself better. When others see my calligraphy, I'd like them to experience the same kind of inner harmony and balance that I feel while creating it.
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| High in the autumn sky the air is clear |
Artist's Statement
When I do calligraphy, I try to emulate the li my teacher talked about in class. I sit up straight and keep my elbows off my desk. After carefully calculating where to position my character in the square, I slowly begin my first character, moving from right to left across my paper. To me, calligraphy is all about the manipulation of the brush: when to press down, when to slowly raise it, when to end with a flourish. It is about mastering a seemingly simple skill with patience and perseverance. My goals are to emulate my teacher’s characters, to mirror them in my own novice manner. I simply wish to do my calligraphy in the proper Dao, or way.
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| Contentment with what you have is true happiness |
Artist's Statement
When I am writing calligraphy, my surroundings disappear, and thoughts of the day fade away. I am in a state of nirvana, feeling neither pain nor pleasure, only focusing on the work in front of me. I view each character as a different image, a different piece of art, that I must replicate. However, my emotions will leave my mind and become reflected in the brushstrokes. When I finish my calligraphy, the characters are never perfect, but they never need to be. They are a reflection of me as an individual, with all my strengths and flaws, and that is what I want people to see when they look at my work.
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Artist's Statement
Each piece of calligraphy that I work on is a painting to me. It is where I can express myself through the balance, the soft, the strong, and the smoothness of the characters. I can see myself clearly in each of the strokes. If the character turns out to be imbalance or uneven, then it means that I have been too impatient and have moved too quickly. I get motivated when my characters show the hard work and time that I have carefully put into it. So seeing the SRP students putting all their effort into each character really make me happy. Their hard work inspires me to be more motivated in school, especially when they try their best to write and pronounce each letter in their name. Through the Clarkson Community Center, I find where I belong so that I can treat others around me, which is Confucius’s teaching. Working with the SPR students and calligraphy, I truly find myself.
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Jess L.
Artist's Statement
I am able to say myself that my calligraphy has improved over the past 3 months. Before, my lines were too crooked, my characters were too skinny/too fat, I used way too much ink, etc. But now, I am (kind of) able to write characters with the correct strokes. My ability to write now has also affected me personally. The precision in calligraphy has created a patient personality in me. Not only do I take my time while writing callligraphy, but I also take my time while doing other activities, such as baking, studying, and teaching. Teaching calligraphy is a whole new experience. Learning/writing by myself is one level, but teaching requires even more skill. The patience I've developed helps me to correct the students over and over again without any sign of annoyance. In order to teach, I need to know how to demonstrate as well. Before, completing the homework only required one sheet of "perfect" characters. Now, I must be able to write it nicely on the first try. Needless to say, calligraphy has (and continues to) improve my character, as I am improving the writing of Chinese characters metaphorically.
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| Heaven is black, earth yellow; time and space stretch out |
Artist's Statement
Practicing East Asian calligraphy is not unfamiliar to me, but it was my experience both in Emory University and in Clarkston Community Center that made me realize that what the authentic value of calligraphy is and why we should practice calligraphy. When I was a child, my grandfather, a typical Chinese intellectual, told me that if I wanted to practice calligraphy, I had to be calm and peace, no matter what was happening around me, so that I could write better characters on the paper. In Emory University, every time I practiced calligraphy, I would sit decently, hold the brush firmly, and write various characters on papers steadily. While I was working on my calligraphy, my mind went back to the schools in ancient time where young students gathered together to learn reading and writing, in order not only to study hard to become an official in the court, but also to carry on the cultural heritage endowed by ancestors of our people. Finally, when I finished writing, I put my brush aside, sipping some hot tea, realizing that this piece was down. When my work is going on well, I feel that the only key to achieving good calligraphy is keeping mind clean, doing every stroke skillfully and practicing many times before handing in the final project. Last but not the least, when other people see my work, I would like to tell them that what I am doing is not only practicing art, but also trying to achieve the mind out of burden and all kinds of negative attachments through practicing calligraphy.
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| Spring wind brings peace; High in the autumn sky the air is clear |
Artist's Statement
When I work with a brush and ink to produce Chinese calligraphy, I am reminded that the ebb and flow of the individual strokes come together to produce a character in its entirety. I begin a piece by looking at the model and trying to emulate the order and appearance of the strokes. I know a character is done when I feel contented with the final outcome and when I feel that it is complete. As I work on the individual strokes, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that it is being crafted correctly. When people see my work, I want them to feel the same way that I did while creating the strokes, in addition to be feeling serene and peaceful. Being able to teach these skills to the SRP students at the Clarkston Community Center to enhance their learning makes me feel like a better junzi, one of the cores of the Confucian philosophy.
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| A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Artist's Statement
Who knew that the brush and a paper could create so much richness and depict the essence of life, also reflecting the rich history of the Chinese culture. Even though I'm still not good at calligraphy, it is still fun to learn and it is amazing how i feel so calm and focused when I do calligraphy. I sometimes turn on peaceful music to accompany my writing, and it gives me one of the most peaceful and innermost feelings that I could have in Emory. I begin a piece by enthusiasm. An enthusiasm that helps me motivate that I could achieve anything if I attempt to do it and work hard. The result may not be something that I want, but it will still give me the feeling that I actually tried. I know a piece is done when the energy running inside my body for calligraphy stops flowing. It actually should be done when everyone sees and appreciates my work, but I'm not on that level yet in my opinion. However, when people see my work, I'd like them to get a sense of feeling that I actually attempted Chinese calligraphy and interpreted on my own. It may not be what people see on famous calligraphy writings or even cool tattoo letters, but it is done by me.
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| Heaven is black, earth yellow; time and space stretch out |
Artist's Statement
Each calligraphy character that I write is like a song, like the beginning of Beethoven’s
"Moonlight Sonata." My strokes are slow and methodical, and contemplative, like the deep chords of the movement. While observing the way the ink flows out of the brush, and the way the calligraphy paper soaks up the ink, nothing else enters my mind, and I have entered a serene, silent, peaceful place. After a few strokes, I realize that I am the one making the ink flow from the brush onto the paper eagerly awaiting to soak up the ink, and I try to make it perfect, in one stroke. And I try again. Calligraphy has taught me the sweet rewards of perseverance, for when I finally make a character ideal, my mind and heart fill with the pride of the beautiful work I have created, and my song ends on a Picardy third. I look to calligraphy to refine myself and become a better junzi.
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Kira S.
Artist's Statement
Calligraphy is not only a form of writing but also a form of art through which one can channel his or her own personal feelings. To me, calligraphy represents finding balance and harmony in one’s being, getting rid of all of the stress from miscellaneous tasks, letting only calmness and concentration take over the mind. With each stroke of a character, one has to focus on the width, ink-distribution, angles, and lengths; calligraphy requires the artist to make sure each stroke is balanced, from start to finish.
In my own experience this semester, I have found that what I have learned from calligraphy transcends to daily life. The best work results from good effort throughout, not from effort just at the start or at the finish. Just as in calligraphy, one must find balance in his or her own life, not exercising too much in just one direction. When one thinks too much so that his or her activities are clouded with just thoughts and not enough action, the product will not turn out so well. This class and calligraphy has taught me that I must find balance and harmony in the things I do and the relationships I have in order to make the best of life.
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Steven S.
Artist's Statement
The continuous brush stroke of the character I create reminds me of the continuous flow one must have with the Way. Calligraphy allows me to be still in this on-going and busy society. Sometimes we must stop everything we are doing and absorb the silence and the inactivity, because through this, we can notice things we have never noticed before and see things we have never seen before. Through calligraphy I can inspect my inner feelings and meditate on nothing else but the strokes and my thoughts. Calligraphy is a tool I use to share my benevolence with others, such as the SRP students at the Clarkston Community Center.
The phrase I chose to do for my final calligraphy project states: “The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step.” Many of us find it hard to take the first step on a new experience, whether it is fear of the past or the fear of the future. Taking a first step into a new life takes courage and I want to share this message with others, to encourage them to take that first step into a new and exciting journey.
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| The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step |
Artist's Statement
Every page of my calligraphy is an emblem of my identity. The characters I write are usually flowing with ink, exemplifying the flexibility and tenacity in the characteristics of Chinese culture. Calligraphy is the combination of nature, culture, my personal emotion and my lifetime experience. In my calligraphy, every character represents a concise understanding of Chinese culture, for its different fonts, styles and shapes all constitute the overall meaning of the character. When my calligraphy is hung for exhibition in the Clarkson Community Center, those characters acquire some deeper connotations. They start to become the examples for love, friendship and the attitude of "ren", and will be kept in minds of those students we help with during the whole semester.
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| Go forward confidently in your intention |
Artist's Statement
Carefully setting up my equipment of doing calligraphy is the starting point of a restorative journey. I usually begin to do calligraphy when I am tired and stressed. Holding the brush gently, focusing on the structure of a character, and following slowly with the stroke order, I can feel a flow of energy generating in my body, an energy that enables me to relieve all tensions and pressures. Practicing ten sheets every week is not homework for me, but a moment of experiencing absolute tranquility and internal harmony which I genuinely appreciate. Every time after doing calligraphy, I can feel a peaceful delight coming through. The delight does not come from whether my characters are beautiful or not, but from the process of meditating and focusing involved. It provides me a way to achieve emotional balance, especially when I am frustrated or stressed.
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| Go forward confidently in your intention |
Artist's Statement
As one notorious for bad penmanship, I never expected to be good at calligraphy. I anticipated no more than frustration, ink stains, and some slight improvement. Who knew I would enjoy such a unique art form to the degree that I do?
Over the semester I have learned a great deal from my study of calligraphy and service: I’ve learned not to take myself to seriously, not to try so hard lest I stray even further from the Dao, and to be grateful for all that with which I have been blessed. I now understand the importance of a warm up, both mentally and physically as I begin each of my pages with a set of strong and fluid practice strokes. I have developed a steadier hand, utilizing the correct calligraphy brush technique. And I have come to appreciate the importance of practice, as I am unable to scribe a character correctly without it.
I have achieved so much more than I expected through my time in this class, so I have chosen for my final project the phrase “Let your aspirations soar.” This phrase has meaning for me, in my calligraphy practice, my schoolwork, my goals as a varsity athlete, and my future. I know now that a seemingly difficult task can be easy to achieve if I don’t doubt my abilities.
I’d like to thank the Clarkston Community center for hosting our class and facilitating our interaction with an incredible group of people, and I would like to thank my teacher, professor Crowley, for introducing me to a completely new medium of expression as well as a method of aligning my inner chi with the natural chi.
Enjoy!
