Calligraphy with Toshi M.

⛱🏝☀️💖 Summer Discount! Limited Time Offer! Don't Miss Out! ⛱🏝☀️💖 Calm your mind and find inner peace by understanding the philosophy and art of traditional Japanese writing. Japanese calligraphy is one of the most well-known and popular of the traditional arts of Japan. It’s called shodō (書道) in Japanese, which literally means the way of writing. Shodō has a very long history. However, it’s still practiced today and it’s a popular class in school, from elementary school to university. 🏯 Shodō is closely linked to Zen Buddhism and is influenced by its ideas and values. Japanese calligraphy goes far beyond simply writing characters or words. The key to true calligraphy is to bring the mind and soul into the work and to write with your heart, otherwise, it’s meaningless. The calligrapher only has one chance, since the brush strokes can’t be corrected. To express a deep meaning, the work must show the emotions, personality, and passion of the artist. It is also said that the way of writing is the path to enlightenment. To write Zen calligraphy the mind must be clear, and the characters flow out effortlessly. This state of mind is called mushin (無心), and means “consciousness without consciousness”. When practicing Japanese calligraphy, you should clear your mind and focus only on the meaning of the words you write. 🇯🇵 Toshi shows how this practice can connect body, mind, spirit, and brush to flow through ink and paper. Learn how to gravitate between the practical aspect of calligraphy and its spiritual component. As Toshi firmly believes, this process allows your inner peace to translate into anything you create. Begin by getting to know Toshi. As a seasoned calligrapher and artist, his focus lies in teaching his students to concentrate on their inner Qi (energy flow) with every brushstroke. Discover the wide range of influences and inspirations which have shaped his style. Learn the background and essentials of Shodo, and how it intertwines with mushin, meditative clarity of the mind. Toshi teaches all of the essential calligraphy stroke systems and techniques. Before painting, learn to release tension in both the body and mind using guided meditation and becoming aware of your inner Qi. After warming up physically and spiritually, practice basic Shodo brush strokes while continuing to channel your energy flow from your body, through the ink, and onto paper. Next, draw the calligraphy characters that represent “Sincere heart.” Toshi guides you step by step through the setup and technique. Then, practice seisho, which is clear, transparent calligraphy that must be done with mushin, a clear mind. 🌸 Requirements and materials 🌸 No previous experience or knowledge of calligraphy and Shodo is necessary. You need a calligraphy brush, an inkstone, an ink stick, ink liquid, and calligraphy paper. At the beginning of the class, Toshi describes the materials and gives you recommendations on where to find them. ( You need to purchase, Toshi will send you an Amazon link total cost of $30-$40) ⭐️ The brush (筆, fude) is usually made of bamboo with bristles made from animal hair. There are thin and thick brushes and the width of the character you’ll write decides which type you’ll use. ⭐️ Ink (墨, sumi) is a dry stick form. There are also liquid ink types. The black ink used in calligraphy is made of pine tree soot. ⭐️ Calligraphy paper (和紙, washi) is made of mulberry fibers, which are tougher than normal wood pulp paper. ⭐️ An inkstone (硯, suzuri) is used, with water, to grind the ink stick. You use it in a way that is similar to when painting with watercolors. Toshi started practicing Shodo at the age of five under the creative supervision of his grandmother, a distinguished SUMI calligrapher. Later he began to take lessons at a Sumi SHODO calligraphy school. His passion for learning and teaching SHODO and the interest in developing the effective method of teaching this beautiful form of art has always been expanding. Since then, Toshi's love for Japanese calligraphy inspired him to get involved in other Japanese traditions and started to study Sado(Japanese tea ceremony) as well. 🍵 Japanese calligraphy is a millennia-old art that still exists today, reflecting Japanese culture and aesthetics. Being one of the most popular and important traditional art forms, it’s a popular cultural activity that you’ll have the opportunity to experience in many of his language courses and his JLPT study course, too. 💖 Toshi deeply cares for and wants to help every student.