Wabi-Sabi – updated in my life

Wabi-Sabi Flowers

When my son Rob sent me these winter pictures of flowers in Vancouver last Sunday, wabi-sabi sprang to mind. Some of you will recall my writing about this a couple of times because the concept resonates with me.

Translation

Japanese words and phrases don’t necessarily translate well into English, mostly because they contain an essence that we don’t necessarily have words for. I’m on a teeter-totter with wabi-sabi because I think I understand it. Yet, suddenly, I realize it is much subtler than I had envisioned.

This is my most recent iteration, thanks to Nick Kemp, author of Ikigai-Kan. He pointed me to Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture by Roger Davies and Osamu Ikeno. They break down the etymology of the expression:

Etymology – originating in the medieval

“Wabi is an aesthetic and moral principle, which emphasizes a simple, austere type of beauty and a serene, transcendental frame of mind yet also points to the enjoyment of a quiet, leisurely life, free from worldly concerns.”

“Sabi reflects qualities of loneliness, resignation, tranquility, and old age, while also connoting that which is subdued, unobtrusive, yet tasteful.”

Perhaps ikebana, as suggested by the authors is an example we can relate to. These are not bouquets of gorgeous, colorful flowers that we often admire in the west, but rather ” a few small flowers, wild grasses and branches with tiny buds.”

The banner photo today may not strike you as beautiful in the Western sense. But when I saw that flower and these other two, I found them irresistable.

When I returned to Japan last October, I once again visited the famous Ryōan-ji dry garden. This famous garden’s clay wall, which is stained by age with subtle brown and orange tones, reflects “sabi” and the rock garden “wabi,” together reflecting the Japanese worldview or aesthetic of wabi-sabi.

For Richard Powell, author of Wabi-sabi Simple, “Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”

Living Wabi Sabi by Taro Gold,  claimed that if you ask people on the street in Tokyo to describe wabi-sabi. “they will likely give you a polite shrug and explain that Wabi Sabi is simply unexplainable.”

Still

In spite of all this indecisiveness, wabi-sabi is now being used, as a helpful concept for reducing perfectionist thinking. That may be technically incorrect, but still a useful misunderstanding. So, even when we don’t get it exactly right or fully understand it, I like to offer “the spirit of it” to people, including myself, as a significant way to accept the impermanent and find the good in our flaws. Perfection is a handicap for many.

Daily Life

In my daily life, wabi-sabi is on my mind as I enter my 79th year. It is interesting to me that my Mother took up watercolour painting when she turned 80, and although we all thought this remarkable, 80 no longer seems that old to me. I recently enrolled in a 30-day meditation/ creativity program and another creativity program on Wednesday afternoons. Every year for the last few years, I have tried to find my way into using all the beautiful papers, paints, sketching pencils, and the stack of zen-doodle blank cards – you get the picture.

I keep wanting to put into practice what I talk about – a small daily practice of fooling around with colour, paper, washi tape, and so on. What is the best path – have fun making imperfect sketches, watercolours, whimsical drawings and so on or leave all of this untouched for my son and daughter – yellowed and dusty? Why not dive into impermanence, imperfection, and playfulness while I have the chance.

So, along with my word harmony, my “learn something new that is fun ” is mixed-media art. I appreciate this next definition of Wabi-Sabi as it seems to exactly fit my plan: “the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and incomplete.” This excerpt from Leonard Koren’s definition of Wabi-Sabi comes from his book of the same name for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers.

NPR

One of my favourite articles on art and health comes from NPR. There are so many good ideas that I recommend you read the entire thing: Making art is good for your health.

Two of their suggestions that I am trying to implement once again:

You don’t need to be an artist with a capital “A”

We tend to think that only people who are very skilled at art can call themselves artists, but really, anyone can be an artist, says Professor Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University in the UK and a leading researcher in art therapy.

“Everyone is capable of creative expression,” she says. In fact, her own research has shown that there are no differences in health outcomes between those who identify as experienced artists and those who don’t. So that means that no matter your skill level, you’ll be able to feel all the good things that come with making art.

Think about making art like any healthy habit, such as eating well or exercising

Just as you make time to work, exercise and hang out with family and friends, you should make time for your artistic endeavors, says Strang. ( a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham) “Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy — remaining connected to yourself and remaining connected to the world,” she says.

Habits

To help me develop my new daily habit, I signed up for the 30-day program mentioned earlier. It involves a commitment of only 12 minutes a day plus four Saturday 2-hour online workshops. The delightful instructor asks us never to go past 20 minutes. If I can keep the 12-minute daily activity, this will be a success for me. I would say that her style is in the spirit of Kaizen—small steps daily that lead to a new habit.

With the second habit, I had to plan where and when. Consistency is what ups my/our chance to actually do it. Although I am a big fan of Oliver Burkeman’s daily-ish, my plan for this particular aspiration is to show up each day.

Simple and ordinary? Yes. Easy? No. Many obstacles are lurking around, wanting to distract me.

I Love This Quote:

Here is what Oliver B says about hobbies and why what I want to do is a hobby. “A good hobby probably should feel a little embarrassing; that’s a sign you’re doing it for its own sake rather than for some socially sanctioned outcome.” To pursue an activity in which you have no hope of becoming exceptional is to put aside, for a while, the anxious need to “use time well.” It’s about, he says, the “freedom to pursue the futile.”

Of course, we all know that life will have other plans. But, if we want to do anything, we up our chances by having a time and a place to show up so that most of the time, we get to do it.

You know that I have been here before, but that’s OK. I start again.

Creative Arts

For years I have been teaching  the benefits of the creative arts for people struggling with illness, ageing and other curve balls that get flung our way. As I think about this winter, I believe it will be tough for many people. Conversely, doing things with our hands where we create, however clumsily, can bring a spark of joy. This goes for making music, baking bread,  taking photos, writing, wood working…whatever appeals to you.

Another interesting article Creativity is Great Medicine,  by Dr. Susan Massad a retired Doctor of Internal Medicine of 51 years. She continues to lead workshops and conversations… on creative aging, health and wellness and issues of dementia, death and dying.

Notes

 1:) Dr Graham Pole suggests: “We make a clear distinction between art that patients and clients passively enjoy and art that participants create themselves. Participation is more effective in the healing process of illness both physical and psychological because the more involved patients are in the creative expression, the more able they are to take charge of their situation.”

 2:) I hope you are all doing the best you can do, dear readers. I think it’s good to notice the beauty, find a few good words, laugh with others, lend a hand and offer a hand. We get through things together. 

 3:) Thank you for stopping by. I hope if you don’t already, set aside time to make art (a broad definition). You can have fun and improve your mind and body health. Warm wishes from cold Ottawa and the Rideau Canal is fully opened at 7+ km. Skaters are LOVING it. See you next week, Trudy