Saturday, February 5, 2011

All mighty the penman!

I was watching the other day, the Last Samurai and it came to me that penmanship was very much like swordmanship.
As the character in the movie observed and reflected on the art of living and fighting, I thought how very similar the two arts are.
Writing is very much about observing and reflecting. It is also about fighting.
Mastering your penmanship requires practice, introspection and perseverance. 
As I watched the character progessing with his craft, I noticed how his sword became an extension of himself, an extension of his expression and I was thinking how pen and sword have the same ability to point at, to delve, dive in and out, swinging, drifting or lunging in space sometimes swiftly, sometimes deadly slow.

 The sword brushes through the air the way a pen brushes on paper. Sometimes the craft flows and sometimes it screeches to get by. And you will make sure it develops to be crisp and precise. You will need poise and self-discipline but if you do, then you will be able to compose many beautiful combinations.

But be careful, nothing is sharper than double-edge words.

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