Today I did some updates on the (micro)blog to make it easier to use and read. Not sure where I’ll be taking this but I do know it’ll be a continual work in progress, just like me.

I’m a tinkerer and can never sit still on a design, domain name, concept, or … anything. I’ve settled on this domain name for now but each morning I wake up with a better idea so it might not last. Tomorrow the URL might be something crazy.

The title for today is wabisabi which is the design aesthetic and philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection, transience, and simplicity.

I was training in kado (the way of flowers) at Chozen-ji. I use the past tense because I could no longer make Saturday mornings for class, and I’ve since started boxing training which takes up a lot of my time. I’m at the temple 4 days a week for boxing.

Anyway, back to kado. To me, it perfectly encapsulates these concepts. The idea in kado is not to find a perfect flower, or shape an imperfect one into a perfect one. With regards to transience, it’s pretty much baked in to the whole idea of using live flowers. Some bloom while in the arrangement, others wilt and die. Finally, simplicity. I’d say that simplicity is an undercurrent weaving through all the arts at a zen temple.

Here is an arrangement I worked on awhile back.

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