301 S Bedford St., Madison WI

Chinese calligraphy and Chinese medicine

Chinese calligraphy and Chinese medicine

Chinese character for ‘water.’

Do you like it? This is some of the outcome of my exploration into calligraphy! Some of us had a delightful time learning about and practicing Chinese calligraphy. The class, ‘Enjoy the brush,’ was taught by Kaz Tanahashi, a world-renowned Japanese artist.

We spent hours practicing what appears to be a simple stroke, and learned that it is not nearly as simple as it first appears. And we reveled in practicing large characters with beautiful rich water colors.

Water
The character that you see is one that I made near the end of our program. It is the Chinese character for ‘water.’ There are many connections between this element and the practice of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, so it was particularly enjoyable to connect this art form with my work.

Acupuncture
It is interesting to look at acupuncture through the lens of this class… simple issues are not always as simple as they first appear. Small shifts in the brush change the whole complexion of the stroke. Likewise, small differences in your symptoms can significantly change the focus of your diagnosis and treatment. Experience and continued practice are the keys to success in both these efforts.