Action: Today I learned how to write the character for "patience" (ninja). Afterwards, I wrote "patience" on a large sized paper and wrote it using running style (the most difficult style of writing) on both a medium and large size paper.
Next action: I will begin putting together my portfolio and speech in preparation for the practice speech that we will be giving in class.
How Am I doing?: Again, it seems as if I'm picking up on characters more easily now, though once again, "patience" had the character for heart in it, so I only had to learn a few new strokes. What really surprised me was how well I did in the end with running style. The first time I tried to write "patience" using running style, it looked horrible! It just looked like a big scribble. But by the end, I got more used to varying the pressure of the brush, so my running style "patience" turned out pretty well.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 8, 2011 (1.5 hr calligraphy, total: 15 hr calligraphy)
Action: Today, I learned how to write the character for love (ai). Since this character has around 13 strokes, this would be the most complicated character I have learned so far. My mentor and I used this character and wrote on it on a plain folding fan and then decorated it using watercolors to make a mothers day gift.
Next action: I will continue to learn new characters and practice on larger paper for the presentation
How am I doing?: I thought that writing "love" would be difficult because it looks complicated, however I found that it wasn't too hard to get it to look decent looking. It seems as if I'm able to pick up on how to write new characters faster than I previously was. It could be because within the character for love, was "kokoro", which I had learned before, so I only had to learn 9 new strokes.
Next action: I will continue to learn new characters and practice on larger paper for the presentation
How am I doing?: I thought that writing "love" would be difficult because it looks complicated, however I found that it wasn't too hard to get it to look decent looking. It seems as if I'm able to pick up on how to write new characters faster than I previously was. It could be because within the character for love, was "kokoro", which I had learned before, so I only had to learn 9 new strokes.
Monday, May 2, 2011
May 1, 2011 (1 hr, Total: 15 hrs community service)
Action: I helped my mentor set up for a presentation that he would be giving on judo and calligraphy. The presentation was during a street festival held on Grand Avenue for cinco de mayo. I also took photos during the presentation which would be used in a local newspaper in Japan Town.
Next Action: Next weekend, I will finish the last of my calligraphy lessons. I will also start writing the research paper.
How am I doing?: I'm not sure what the topic of my research paper is going to be at this point. However, from the past hours of calligraphy lessons and community service, I have learned that while calligraphy is a way of connecting with my culture, it can also be used for business and fundraising.
Next Action: Next weekend, I will finish the last of my calligraphy lessons. I will also start writing the research paper.
How am I doing?: I'm not sure what the topic of my research paper is going to be at this point. However, from the past hours of calligraphy lessons and community service, I have learned that while calligraphy is a way of connecting with my culture, it can also be used for business and fundraising.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
April 30, 2011 (1.5 hr, Total: 13.5 hr calligraphy)
Action: Today I practiced writing "Heiwa" from the previous week in a larger and larger space until I got to the paper that sits on a easel. I also practiced in writing the characters I've learned starting from "Kokoro" in the usual sized spaces.
Next action: I will continue to practice writing "Heiwa" on the larger paper in preparation for the demonstration and will practice writing other characters on the larger paper as well. Next weekend, May 7, I will finish my last 1.5 hours of calligraphy.
How am I doing?: Writing on the large paper was awkward and difficult since I'm not used to the size and having to write on a paper that's standing upright instead of lying flat on a table. I think I did pretty well writing it, though the second character was visibly smaller than the first character. Today, another lady came to take lessons with my mentor (this was her second lesson). When I watched her writing the first character I learned to write, it made me realize how much progress I've made from that simple character to a more complex character on large paper.
Next action: I will continue to practice writing "Heiwa" on the larger paper in preparation for the demonstration and will practice writing other characters on the larger paper as well. Next weekend, May 7, I will finish my last 1.5 hours of calligraphy.
How am I doing?: Writing on the large paper was awkward and difficult since I'm not used to the size and having to write on a paper that's standing upright instead of lying flat on a table. I think I did pretty well writing it, though the second character was visibly smaller than the first character. Today, another lady came to take lessons with my mentor (this was her second lesson). When I watched her writing the first character I learned to write, it made me realize how much progress I've made from that simple character to a more complex character on large paper.
April 23, 2011 (1.5 hr, Total: 12 hr calligraphy)
Action: Today I was surprised with the fact that I would be learning how to write "peace" (Heiwa), which is part of the second level of Shodo calligraphy. I also practiced writing Heiwa using a smaller brush that's about the size of a pencil.
Next action: Next weekend, I will practice writing Heiwa using a larger paper and brush in preparation for the demonstration that I will I have to give in front of the class and the panel.
How am I doing?: It was pretty intimidating to have to write a word from the second level, especially after watching my mentor do it so well. I think I did pretty well, though when I compare it to my mentor's, his is much better, even though ours don't look all that different from each others's. It was also difficult writing "Heiwa" because it consists of two characters and therefore you have to balance the characters not only with itself but with the other character.
Next action: Next weekend, I will practice writing Heiwa using a larger paper and brush in preparation for the demonstration that I will I have to give in front of the class and the panel.
How am I doing?: It was pretty intimidating to have to write a word from the second level, especially after watching my mentor do it so well. I think I did pretty well, though when I compare it to my mentor's, his is much better, even though ours don't look all that different from each others's. It was also difficult writing "Heiwa" because it consists of two characters and therefore you have to balance the characters not only with itself but with the other character.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April 16, 2011 (4 hr, Total: 14 hr community service)
Action: I helped my mentor raise funds for Shin Shin Gakudo at the Japan Town Cherry Blossom Festival. We set up a prayer tree where people can write on a piece of paper what they appreciate, what they're sorry for, and what they hope for. We would then hang their prayer on the tree and they could choose to donate or not. If they donated, we gave them a card that said "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you) in romaji and in handwritten calligraphy. After practicing writing "arigatou gozaimasu" a couple of times, I got to help write the cards. I also helped to hang the prayers on the tree.
Next Action: I will be assisting my mentor in a Judo and calligraphy demonstration on Grand Avenue on Sunday May 1 for my last hour of community service
How am I doing?: It was exciting for me to be able to write the cards! I thought that I would just be helping doing small random jobs and I didn't think I would get to do anything like that (and I think I did pretty well considering how much time I got to practice). It amazed me that people actually paid to put a prayer on a tree more than they paid to have their name written in Japanese (which was another thing we offered).
Next Action: I will be assisting my mentor in a Judo and calligraphy demonstration on Grand Avenue on Sunday May 1 for my last hour of community service
How am I doing?: It was exciting for me to be able to write the cards! I thought that I would just be helping doing small random jobs and I didn't think I would get to do anything like that (and I think I did pretty well considering how much time I got to practice). It amazed me that people actually paid to put a prayer on a tree more than they paid to have their name written in Japanese (which was another thing we offered).
April 10, 2011 (1.5 hr, Total: 10.5 hr calligraphy)
Action: I practiced the characters that I learned up until now starting from "kokoro". At the end of the lesson, I used a space twice as large as usual to write the character "kokoro".
Next action: During the next lesson, I will continue perfecting the characters I've already learned, learn the next set of characters, and practice writing with brushes of different sizes to match the writing space.
How am I doing?: I'm getting better at writing some of the characters, such as "kokoro" and "getsu", however the characters containing the lines for the character "hito" are still difficult because of the precise balance needed between the lines (thickness and distance). Though I am not very good at writing, my mentor is. I can see how people would be interested in this art when it is done well and how there is potential to profit from this art, which I will see next weekend when I help my mentor in a fundraiser involving calligraphy next weekend at the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Next action: During the next lesson, I will continue perfecting the characters I've already learned, learn the next set of characters, and practice writing with brushes of different sizes to match the writing space.
How am I doing?: I'm getting better at writing some of the characters, such as "kokoro" and "getsu", however the characters containing the lines for the character "hito" are still difficult because of the precise balance needed between the lines (thickness and distance). Though I am not very good at writing, my mentor is. I can see how people would be interested in this art when it is done well and how there is potential to profit from this art, which I will see next weekend when I help my mentor in a fundraiser involving calligraphy next weekend at the Cherry Blossom Festival.
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