Cecil, I love this essay. Ultimately it becomes an artful examination of why we create.
It strikes at the heart of the questions of how we value the arts... is it the result or the process of creating it?
I was moved me to revisiting the subject of Chinese calligraphy, the practice of shufa. Our understanding of that seems to get me close to at least one answer to your initial question here. My Gemini put together this little outline of the three primary aspects that practice entails.
The practice of shufa is a meditative discipline that embodies core Buddhist principles.
Mindfulness and focus: The calligrapher must be fully present and focused. Every stroke of the brush requires concentration, which quiets the mind and draws attention to the present moment.
"No-mind" state (wuxin/mushin): True mastery is not about technique but about reaching a state of wuxin ("no-mind") where the brush moves with uninhibited spontaneity, free from conscious thought, emotion, or expectation.
Impermanence (無常): The art reflects the Buddhist concept of wuchang (impermanence). Calligraphy is a single, uncorrectable action—each stroke is a unique, fleeting moment that can never be perfectly replicated. The use of perishable materials like rice paper or even water on stone further emphasizes this transient nature.
Thanks for commenting dragoneye! Good to hear from you.
Shufa, Shodo in Japanese. Yes, everything is transient in order to maintain the continuous uniqueness of every moment, every action, every manifestation. No-mind as I understand it means to enter that state of selfless translucence while working - the flow state - fusing together with the moment where the sense of time disappears, where mastery of the art is in the state of being more than the mastery of the technique - though both are required of course. What good is the mastery of technique without the mastery of entering that the state of being? Yes, fascinating. A lifelong practice.
In my own case, I am interested in all of these states of being, how they express themselves in the living moment when you pick up your instrument. Sometimes self conscious, sometimes not. Always exploring. I am not held back by convention, ideal or perceived meaning since, unlike the Chinese calligrapher, I am not aspiring to any particular standard since I am not even sure what they are. That is a different set of cultural pressures: complex and subtle that I was not born into.
I suppose in relation to that I am always is a state of beginner mind. haha.
This is beautifully articulated. I appreciate how you capture the tension between language as a tool for connection and as something that can also distort or confine. The way you describe asemic writing as honoring the act of writing itself, beyond meaning, really struck me. Thanks for sharing your perspective; it makes me see both language and art in a new light.
I've long found your asemic (a new word for me) drawing to be particularly beautiful. Now I have some understanding of why. A beautiful, beautiful line of thought.
Always love looking at asemic writing. Something about the energy, I guess. And memories of my art school years and abstract Impressionist painting. Energy. Thanks for this article. Really enjoyed it.
As always, you teach me something new. Asemic writing. Two things come to mind. Admiring children’s art that does not have words, nor recognizable shapes or forms. For lack of better words, fluid scribbles. Although EKG “writing” came to mind, also.
Cecil, I love this essay. Ultimately it becomes an artful examination of why we create.
It strikes at the heart of the questions of how we value the arts... is it the result or the process of creating it?
I was moved me to revisiting the subject of Chinese calligraphy, the practice of shufa. Our understanding of that seems to get me close to at least one answer to your initial question here. My Gemini put together this little outline of the three primary aspects that practice entails.
The practice of shufa is a meditative discipline that embodies core Buddhist principles.
Mindfulness and focus: The calligrapher must be fully present and focused. Every stroke of the brush requires concentration, which quiets the mind and draws attention to the present moment.
"No-mind" state (wuxin/mushin): True mastery is not about technique but about reaching a state of wuxin ("no-mind") where the brush moves with uninhibited spontaneity, free from conscious thought, emotion, or expectation.
Impermanence (無常): The art reflects the Buddhist concept of wuchang (impermanence). Calligraphy is a single, uncorrectable action—each stroke is a unique, fleeting moment that can never be perfectly replicated. The use of perishable materials like rice paper or even water on stone further emphasizes this transient nature.
Thanks for commenting dragoneye! Good to hear from you.
Shufa, Shodo in Japanese. Yes, everything is transient in order to maintain the continuous uniqueness of every moment, every action, every manifestation. No-mind as I understand it means to enter that state of selfless translucence while working - the flow state - fusing together with the moment where the sense of time disappears, where mastery of the art is in the state of being more than the mastery of the technique - though both are required of course. What good is the mastery of technique without the mastery of entering that the state of being? Yes, fascinating. A lifelong practice.
In my own case, I am interested in all of these states of being, how they express themselves in the living moment when you pick up your instrument. Sometimes self conscious, sometimes not. Always exploring. I am not held back by convention, ideal or perceived meaning since, unlike the Chinese calligrapher, I am not aspiring to any particular standard since I am not even sure what they are. That is a different set of cultural pressures: complex and subtle that I was not born into.
I suppose in relation to that I am always is a state of beginner mind. haha.
This is beautifully articulated. I appreciate how you capture the tension between language as a tool for connection and as something that can also distort or confine. The way you describe asemic writing as honoring the act of writing itself, beyond meaning, really struck me. Thanks for sharing your perspective; it makes me see both language and art in a new light.
you can see about 600 of my asemic drawings here: https://asemics.org/
It's undergoing scheduled maintenance. I will revisit. Thank you for letting me know.
sorry about that I think its working now.
I am going there now!
I've long found your asemic (a new word for me) drawing to be particularly beautiful. Now I have some understanding of why. A beautiful, beautiful line of thought.
you can see about 600 of my asemic drawings here: https://asemics.org/
Beautifully written and insightful. This should become a landmark essay in the field.
Thank you Peter! I hope you are well.
Always love looking at asemic writing. Something about the energy, I guess. And memories of my art school years and abstract Impressionist painting. Energy. Thanks for this article. Really enjoyed it.
As always, you teach me something new. Asemic writing. Two things come to mind. Admiring children’s art that does not have words, nor recognizable shapes or forms. For lack of better words, fluid scribbles. Although EKG “writing” came to mind, also.
you can see about 600 of my asemic drawings here: https://asemics.org/