About this blog

Hello, everybody. I welcome you to this blog where I intend to share some pieces I craft in shodō (which I will write only as "shodou"). Shodou is a japanese name for a traditional form of artistic calligraphy created in China some millennia ago, and that was transmitted to Japan when this country adopted the chinese literacy in the first millennium A. D.. Shodou consist basically in utilising brushes, ink and paper to write down the chinese-originated ideograms (kanji), and also, in the Japan's case, characters called kana, developed from those ideograms. This is, of course, the surface. In its depths, shodou involves lots of spirituality, philosophy and a resolute disposition.

I believe that even considering the remarkable reception of oriental culture in the West this 21st century, the term shodou may be a bit obscure even among some enthusiasts of the japanese culture. In their language, the word shodou is written as 書道、しょどう (the romanisation transliterates it as shodou, but in japanese, the "u" following the "o" is not pronounced; but stretches the sound of "o", therefore the pronouce shodō). It seems to me that the most accurate translation is really "the way of writing". However, although precise, this translation is troublesome because in English, and in most of the languages of the West, I believe (if not in all them, indeed), the idea of "way" is way limited in comparison of its meaning in oriental languages. I plan to post a more extensive explanation over this later, for the issue is fairly dense.

Nevertheless, I anticipate that in my understanding, the best way of present shodou is not by explaining it previously, but offering it to the reader's experience. This differece is essential to grasp what means the 道 (dō) from shodō. And this is what I intend to do by sharing constantly works crafted and commented by me.

Therefore, it is pertinent to say that I am as shodou master as a frog in a well is emperor of the world, and my knowledge and technique are more like the frog's than the master's, yet I feel prepared to run this blog, for I believe that art and whatever it takes to practice shodou are not privilege of masters. Moreover, as a beginner student and practitioner, as well as lover of shodou, I want to help in showing it to the world as much as I can, while I have the opportunity to improve my skills by training and having my work criticised - by experts or not. Aside the other text about the term shodou, I will also post one about this particular concept of art that I have, and so this "About" section will be complete. Until there, I ask any possible reader to endure any doubts I may have not cleared (or even created myself). If it is really the case that I have any reader, please, feel free to ask me anything you want, and I promise that, within my possibilities, I will do my best to answer.

Thanks!