The 19muses project is devoted to sharing discoveries while studying and practicing the art of Japanese calligraphy (書道 – shodo) and from encountering works, places, and artists linked to its historical and contemporary practice.

A New Yorker and recovering lawyer living in Japan, I came across Japanese calligraphy by serendipity amidst unexpected life circumstances which forced me to adopt a slower (paced) lifestyle than the one I had known as a compulsive “doer.” Calligraphy introduced me to a world which is at once formalistic and intuitive, vibrant and still—one that exists, for example, inside the moments of writing a single kanji character or a poem or a Zen proverb, with a brush and ink on paper. Copying ancient works used by generations of calligraphers to acquire skills to write beautifully creates a personal connection to both the masters who created the works and to the authors (often poets) of the texts themselves. The texts lend themselves to contemplating how their authors lived, loved, and experienced nature and society in their times.

Calligraphy is also an essential part of other traditional practices such as the Japanese tea ceremony and Zen Buddhist practice and is inextricably linked to the rich tradition of Japanese poetry and literature dating back to ancient poetry anthologies compiled before The Tales of Genji.  By sharing the meandering musing and discoveries of a novice—some of which may be only tangentially related to calligraphy itself—the 19muses project seeks to encourage those who might be curious to access and engage with these worlds of beauty.