The spirit of calligraphy
Emmanuel Lévinas
Calligraphy is a path towards personal fulfillment.
Calligraphy is also a martial art
In all the great traditions of East and West calligraphy's original purpose was to transcribe sacred texts. As if it were necessary to go beyond personal writing, not always legible, to an impersonal, structured and harmonious form in order to receive, to render accessible and to embellish the founding texts that reposition man in the universe, in relation to what is sacred and with regard to others. It is in this spirit that the act of calligraphy crosses over all periods, cultures and geographic frontiers to finally alight on paper or parchment - it is a path in itself.
Regular practice of calligraphy seeks to realign us so that the body, the heart and the spirit converge in the single point of the nib. Then we can bring to life and give force to the characters that convey ideas, poetry and beauty.
Posture and breathing are also fundamental, allowing us to undo tensions and to free up the creative energy housed within the letter. They offer us the joy of being reunited in the present moment.
Calligraphy aims at mastering gesture.
It is a meditation that serves slowness.
It is a way of life that continues way beyond the moment of writing.
The teacher is a ferryman who accompanies people on the path towards themselves and their creative source.
The calligrapher is the scribe of the source of life.
