{"id":31051,"date":"2024-08-30T15:11:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T06:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/?p=31051"},"modified":"2024-11-25T09:41:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T00:41:01","slug":"taoism-art1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/en\/taoism-art1\/","title":{"rendered":"Taoism and Art: The Path of Living Naturally as an Artist"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have an interest in Taoism<\/strong> and sometimes take time to study it. Taoism is an elusive and challenging philosophy to grasp, and I\u2019m far from understanding it fully. I wouldn\u2019t dare call myself a Taoist\u2014perhaps it\u2019s more accurate to say that I aim to embody Taoist principles.<\/p>\n

Taoism values living naturally and accepting things as they are. On the other hand, in the art world, self-expression and marketing play crucial roles, and it\u2019s quite normal to embellish things a bit when posting on social media.
\nThis has led me to a strange question: Can these two seemingly opposing concepts coexist? In other words, is it possible to be both an artist and a Taoist? I\u2019ve been quietly pondering this question over the past few months.<\/p>\n

What Exactly Is \u7121\u70ba\u81ea\u7136 (Wu Wei and Ziran: unconditioned nature) ?<\/em><\/h3>\n

At the core of Taoism lies the concept of Wu Wei and Ziran<\/strong>. This refers to a state where, after repeated practice and mastery, one\u2019s skills become so ingrained that they flow naturally and effortlessly. When I first learned about Wu Wei, I was surprised: \u201cWait, Wu Wei isn\u2019t about doing nothing and just relaxing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Years ago, there was a book called something like The Tao of Winnie the Pooh<\/em> that became popular in Japan. It portrayed Winnie the Pooh, who lives a laid-back life, as a master of Taoism. Many people, myself included, may have had a similar impression of Wu Wei. However, Pooh is highly motivated when it comes to collecting honey.
\nThe key lies in Pooh\u2019s dedication to what he loves. Taoism emphasizes focusing only on what you\u2019re good at and what you enjoy. This stands in stark contrast to the idea that \u201cif you work hard on things you\u2019re not good at, you\u2019ll eventually improve.\u201d Instead, Taoism encourages honing your natural talents and striving for the state of Wu Wei in areas you truly excel in.<\/p>\n

The Intersection of Art and Taoism<\/h3>\n

For an artist, Wu Wei might mean reaching a point where, after creating a substantial amount of work, you can intuitively and effortlessly produce art. It\u2019s not about forcing self-expression but about allowing the work to emerge naturally, leading to refined creations.<\/p>\n

However, achieving this state requires long periods of dedicated practice. During this time, it\u2019s essential to remain focused on your craft without being swayed by short-term results or external opinions. It\u2019s nearly impossible to sustain this effort unless you genuinely love what you\u2019re doing. Taoism\u2019s advocacy for pursuing what you love stems from a straightforward observation: \u201cIf you don\u2019t love it, you won\u2019t stick with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natural Marketing<\/h3>\n

In today\u2019s world, artists cannot ignore the role of marketing and branding when sharing their work with the world. However, Taoists are often associated with a lack of ambition and a preference for a reclusive lifestyle, making marketing seem like an unlikely match.
\nIf we were to align marketing with Taoist principles, the key would likely be authenticity<\/strong> and sincerity<\/strong>. By presenting yourself as you are and staying true to yourself, you can achieve natural self-expression. This approach might even appeal to those who feel drained by the demands of social media. By being honest and natural in your communications, you may find an audience that resonates with you while reducing the pressure of constantly \u201cperforming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can Taoism and Art Coexist?<\/h3>\n

As to whether Taoism and being an artist can coexist, I still don\u2019t have a clear answer. Perhaps, if I continue down this path, I might reach a point of coexistence in my later years, maybe even on my deathbed.<\/p>\n

In my art practice, there\u2019s one area where I feel I\u2019ve achieved a state of Wu Wei: the act of continue coiling thread. I can do it effortlessly, as if my hands move on their own. However, in other aspects, I\u2019m far from that state.<\/p>\n

As for marketing, I generally dislike standing out and don\u2019t enjoy being in the spotlight. Still, if I approach it with authenticity, I might be able to share more without feeling undue pressure.<\/p>\n

That said, being natural doesn\u2019t mean exposing all your negativity. As an artist, I believe our work brings color and inspiration to daily life, and we have a responsibility to share dreams and beauty with the world.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons I\u2019m drawn to Taoism is that it emphasizes reducing stress and avoids imposing strict rules or obligations. Living with less stress is essential, and learning about Taoism\u2014or other philosophies\u2014can be incredibly helpful for that purpose.<\/p>\n

Next, I plan to write about a book I recently read called \u6c5f\u5357\u306e\u5ead -Gardens of Jiangnan-<\/em><\/a> and explore the relationship between gardening and the philosophy of retreat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have an interest in Taoism and sometimes take time to study it. Taoism is an elusive and challenging philosophy to grasp, and I\u2019m far from understanding it fully. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/?p=30926","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,122],"tags":[72,309,194],"class_list":["post-31051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-for-artists","category-artrandom","tag-72","tag-309","tag-194","en-US"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/taoism1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31051"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31056,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31051\/revisions\/31056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hidemishimura.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}