Spaces absorb one’s energy or KIAI. We need to cultivate this energy so the space we train can nurture creativity.
For a cook, the kitchen is a sacred space. The kitchen has to be clean and meticulously organized a certain way. All the equipment and ingredients have to be available at any moment’s time. The way we move, and interact is done in such a way to maximize efficiency. Kitchens are places of intense energy; good cooks tap into this KIAI and use it to survive the chaos of service.
When I began Shodo lessons, I sat on Maki Sensei’s kitchen table. By the time I arrived, brushes were in the holder, the ink was poured, and newspapers’ sheets were stacked in a pile. When we were done, we cleaned everything in the kitchen sink and put it all away. Every Tuesday afternoon, she created a space for learning and practicing Shodo. The moment I entered her space, I merged with her KIAI.
Although I have the skill to recognize KIAI in people and places due to my martial arts and zen background, it took me a while to develop my own personal training space to further develop my KIAI.
In 2007 I moved to a two-bedroom condo with my wife, Rachel. We had a spare smaller second bedroom. While I used that room for my calligraphy practice, it felt more like an office than a studio. The room was carpeted for one, and you can probably imagine how many sumi ink spills I had. A lot of times, I found myself brushing on the dining room table. It was more comfortable there. But when my son, Jasper, was born in 2010, I had to give up the office. Everything in that little bedroom was replaced with a crib, a dresser, toys, and tons of baby clothes.
A small plastic toolbox stored my brushes and other materials. Every time I wanted to practice, I took it all out, cleaned it, and put it all away. It was kind of a pain; not having a dedicated space to practice. Consequently, a lot of times, I opted not to practice at all. Not only was it obtrusive to have my dining room table full of brushes, papers, and ink splashes everywhere, but it was quite a hassle to have to set everything up and break it down. This is what prevented me from writing more in the past. It made me lazy. I said many times, “screw it,” and spent the time watching TV instead.
In 2012 we outgrew our 900 sq. feet condo and moved to a house. I had a specific requirement; I wanted a space dedicated to my Shodo practice.
I remember when I saw this house for the first time. There was a room in the basement covered in sawdust full of wood scraps, workbenches, and boxes everywhere. The minute I walked in, I felt the KIAI in the room and knew what that room would be. Shortly after we moved in, I dismantled the workbenches, patched and painted the walls, and cleaned the floors and ceilings. For the first time in almost 10 years since I began Shodo practice, I had a studio, a dedicated place for training.
I brushed my best works, grew my YouTube channel, and created all of my online courses here. I meet students in video conferences from this place. All of this has been possible because I feel the energy to create every time I walk into this room.
The space will always be a work in progress. Your practice space is a living area, ever-changing, and evolving with you.
I encourage you to make a dedicated space for your practice. You don’t have to build a studio in your basement. I did it because, in my case, I had no choice. All you need is a place that’s exclusive to your practice: a table somewhere where you can have all your tools ready to go at all times. Your space, even if it’s just a folding table, will feed on your creative energy, your KIAI.
In Zen, there is a term called samadhi, a state of total meditative absorption where there is no separation between us and the activity we partake. Spaces with strong KIAI can create the conditions for us to enter samadhi in our practice. And just as a cook enters the kitchen or a football player enters the field, or a martial artist enters the dojo, you’ll notice that you will enter “the zone” when you arrive at your space: a place where you can be creative and productive, a place where you can hone your skills, a place for training.