Experiencing writing at our recent Chinese calligraphy workshop
4 hours ago
- Roland Buckingham Hsiao led a Chinese calligraphy workshop that emphasized writing as a practical, experiential practice rather than only theory.
- Participants learned traditional calligraphy styles, starting with Seal Script rather than Cursive Script to develop brush control and steady movements.
- The workshop encouraged embodied learning through posture, breath, brush handling, and attention to the physical process of writing.
- Experiments included comparing calligraphy with clay cuneiform sessions, revealing unexpected lessons about materials, directionality, and control.
- The session also explored using Chinese calligraphy tools and materials to write the Lisu syllabary, a minority script, to consider new calligraphic traditions.
- The workshop was calming and peaceful, offering a welcome respite during a stressful week and fostering focused, quiet concentration.