(today's post is kind of desarticulated, I wrote as I was thinking, and there may be no logical order or transitions)
Since some of you seemed interested in my thoughts about the book "Wabi-Sabi : for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers" (by Leonard Koren), I'm going to share them here today.
A year or two ago, I had never heard of "wabi-sabi" at all. Then, I vaguely had a sense of what it was, but frankly, it was more than a blurry idea of it. This book (above) is not that expensive (around 10 dollars), and I suppose you could even find it in your local library.
The author writes "Wabi-Sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional ..."
I really recommend reading this small book, it's very interesting, and as you will see if you read it, provides a lot of food for thoughts. For me, it's like shaking my whole world, in this sense that I've been raised in that spirit that "everything" must be as perfect as can be. An example, my mom's quite "strict" when it comes to ironing clothes, and my mother-in-law used to be even worse, she even ironed the family's undies. (yes, even socks) No wrinkles allowed, don't you understand ?! And in that same idea, everything in a room is supposed (according to them) to "match", one way or another. May it be the color, or the symetry, there is something so frustratingly conventional, that my parents & inlaws' have been raised through, and have been passing onto us. And believe me, it's hard to shake this off, when you've always been told so.
So, it's a bit hard for me to put words on feelings I've been feeling these days, even more since English is not my maternal language. But let's return to the wabi-sabi concept & idea.
It's almost contradictory with our parents' conception of things. Something mis-matched, broken, wrinkled, not "smooth" looking or feeling, something not conventional (even speaking of clothes), is not something good. Well, hell it is. Or at least, that's how I feel now !
I prefer a weathered wooden door than freshly painted shutters. I prefer an irregular shaped handmade mug than an industrially made (my dream now is to have handmade, pottery or ceramic mugs/cups only, and why not, plates as well - what a dream !). I prefer a handmade, simple, humble cushion cover, than a massmade, big-chain-shop bought & made-in-china one.
I would love to write everything that's in that book, because it really is that interesting. But I respect copyright & will not.
It has made me reflect on what I want to create, and how I want to create it. And believe me, that's kind of putting my world into question. I have less & less interest in all things "perfectly smooth looking", handmade or not. It's not by lack of respect for all the persons who made these; I'm not so pretentious, rude or irrespectful. It's just that I now don't see the point, that's all.
Some of the ideas of wabi-sabi are imperfection, irregularity, humility, "earthiness", and now that's what I would like to incorporate in my creations & how I would like to create in general.
In that perspective, here are my commitments for 2012, concerning my way of creating.
:: I will not buy any fabric for making things for the shop, just like last year
:: I will do my best for using all possible fabric from my stash, even for dyeing
:: I will repurpose as many fabrics & materials as possible
:: I will use my naturally dyed fabrics & threads & fibers
:: I need to be less perfectionist
:: I need to make things with a simpler, more humble & less elaborate "design"
:: I need to hand sew as often as possible, instead of machine sew
:: I need to go back to hand embroidery too, but leaving room to imperfection, flaws & irregularity
:: I need to create more spontaneously
:: I want to use very basic techniques
:: I need to give more thought to price calculating. (tough one, eh ?) Some creations require less material & time spent, they need to be very reasonnably priced. Other creations take more time, and require more precious materials (naturally dyed for instance), these will be given a price that reflect these factors. Specially given that most everything I make (or have been making) are not duplicated & most are "one-of-a-kind" or "unique" (and I'm saying without pretention, don't get me wrong, please)
My "problem" is that I'm "entire". If I want to use natural fibers & fabrics, repurposing other ones ... what should I do with all the fabrics I have been accumulating along the years, and that now don't really fit my aesthetic ?! I already tried to sell them, with no luck. So I will try to make things with them, like braided rugs or stuff like that, but I feel like a bit torn. It's not a big problem, I totally agree, it's a "rich" world's problem, I agree too.
So I guess there'll be things in that spirit ...
Have you already read that book ? What's your thought about wabi-sabi ? I would like to hear what you think ? If you have something to say, or to share, please feel free, don't be shy ! This place is mine AND yours !
oxox
S
It sounds like an extraordinarily interesting book and philosophy Sonia. Thank you for sharing it.
I am without a doubt a perfectionist (even though I do not live in a perfectly ordered house) so I'm sure there will be much to ponder upon in it.
P.S. My husband's mom used to iron the family's underwear too. :)
Posted by: Kathleen | January 05, 2012 at 03:56 PM
My mum was like that and things had to be spik and span. I was never like that and my mum whenever she comes in my house she says "Oh what a mess!". I love my mess! I love the different things around me and even more that I have made some of them or my friends have. But it is too difficult to have everything handmade is it?AriadnefromGreece!
Posted by: Ariadne | January 05, 2012 at 05:02 PM
LOVE this post!! I feel such a kinship with these words. The struggle for less, for simpler, for shaking off the "perfection" gene (I swear my maman is lovely, but she is a Martha Stewart clone). The beauty of worn, rough-hewn, handled things. I love the concept of Wabi-Sabi and now need to read this book. Thank you, as always, for the inspiration and very much looking forward to what these changes will bring in cozy homemaking land.
(btw, my local yarn shop is named Wabi-Sabi)
Posted by: Nicole | January 06, 2012 at 12:43 AM
as i am sure you realized when visiting my home last summer, i have a adopted a very wabi sabi way of living long ago.
I find extreme order and perfection very very uncomfortable, indeed almost painful to be surrounded by.
Can't wait to see your creative outbursts in 2012.
Posted by: margie oomen | January 06, 2012 at 01:41 AM
And you know too after visiting my home I'm in the same camp as Margie. In fact the one thing I really strongly dislike about the home we rent is the matching, hotel looking curtains throughout, they belong to the owners. If I had space to store them they'd have been taken down the day we moved in!
I think I was blessed with a mother whose first priority has never been a tidy house :)
I will look for this book too, sounds lovely.
Jx
Posted by: joanie | January 06, 2012 at 02:26 AM
An afterthought to my previous comment: My mom used to have a sign in our house 'Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy'. It's a fine line I know. I do love when things are clean but housework is never a priority to me so things tend to be quite cluttered here.
Posted by: Kathleen | January 07, 2012 at 02:52 AM
I always think our homes are such a reflection of ourselves so in many ways I am glad mine is cluttered with things I love and full of warmth because I want that to be a reflection of me. Sometimes we all would like a more ordered home but I know for me that will never happen. I am a bit of a perfectionist with things and may try to amend this in 2012, life is too short. Thanks for an inspiring post Sonia. Jane xxx
Posted by: Jane Cardie | January 07, 2012 at 12:07 PM
I too feel that perfectionism and the need to be in control often block us and keep us from more risk taking in our daily and creative lives.
My ideal is to be surrounded by loved and beautiful things, and that order should serve a purpose (I hate wasting time looking for things, for example) and not be something imposed that makes us suffer.
The book sounds really interesting, I'll be adding it to my wish list for this year.
Posted by: MzTallulah | January 09, 2012 at 04:47 PM
I read this book recently to. I'd never even heard of Wabi Sabi until I saw a photo of the book on Brooke's blog and then I looked it up on Wikipedia and then ordered the book. It made me laugh that you'd been reading it because when I read it I thought 'Sonia will love this'. I found it rather interesting and the part which sticks out in my mind is the part about how everything is either coming from nothing or on it's way to nothing.
Posted by: Jill Wignall | January 10, 2012 at 08:42 AM
Thanks for posting about Wabi Sabi - I had never heard of it but reading about it really crystalised my thoughts and I was also able to find and treat myself to this lovely book about it. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0316118257/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1880656124&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0Y4NQJG8N7ZM6SVJT95R
Posted by: Catherine | January 12, 2012 at 10:59 PM
Hi Sonia. As an artist and crafter I find your post very inspiring. Wabi Sabi speaks very strong and directly into the way I look at my art, my cloth, my home, whatever sourronds me.
Wonder if you know about a similar(?) concept: ZAKKA?! http://ihanne.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/zakka I feel it's somehow the same way of worshipping simplicity - just put in other terms?
Anyway, THANKS for bringing this up! And would you mind if I join you in your commitments for 2012?
Posted by: HanneHeavenEarth | January 26, 2012 at 02:14 PM