Sangita Ekka
3 supporters
Shu Ha Ri - A Japanese Technique for Mas ...

Shu Ha Ri - A Japanese Technique for Mastering

Oct 16, 2021

Dear reader,

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - a German polymath has given the world many great things, out of which, two remain my absolute favourite - the colour wheel, and the following quote:

Excellence is rarely found, more rarely valued.

Mediocrity is never a goal. We want to master subjects. We strive for excellent results in our pursuits, and while the definition of "perfect" is either blurry or heavily debated, the urge to constantly improve one's pursuits drives the humankind individually and collectively.

Civilisations across the world have their own timeless wisdom to attain excellence or mastery. The Japanese gave us a 3-step process called Shuhari which roughly translates to -

"to keep, to fall, to break away".

Originally a martial arts concept, the principles of Shuhari can be applied to any discipline one is trying to master.

Let's see what each stage means:

Stage 1 - Shu

This is the stage to obey or protect.

In this stage the learner is a blank canvas, and so the learner must obey the master and learn the traditional wisdom, techniques, and the tools of the trade.

Stage 2 - Ha

This is the stage to detach or digress.

In this stage the learner breaks free from the traditional learning and modifies it to suit oneself. I believe this is where individuality sets in.

Stage 3 - Ri

This is the final stage to separate or transcend.

This stage is rarely arrived because here the learner surpasses previous creators and comes up with something entirely new. In this stage the learner is now the master, in flow with the creative spirit, rooted in traditional wisdom and yet free to create from the heart and soul.

Anime movie - Nitaboh

I learnt about Shuhari from the an animated movie - Nitaboh. While movies from Studio Ghibli are extremely loved across the globe, smaller studios from Japan who come up with such movies are rarely acknowledged globally.

Finding Nitaboh was a sheer accident and choosing to watch it was utterly random. Nitaboh carries a historical theme and introduced me to the artsy side of Japan before the western influence.

It gave a peek into the Japanese arts and culture, social structures, social ranks, and what it all takes to reach mastery when all odds are against you. For me, Nitaboh is one of the most inspiring movies that I have watched till date, and so I decided to share this with you.

If you want to read more about Nitaboh, you may visit the following link:

https://blog.sangitaekka.com/nitaboh-and-the-…ime-movie-review/




OTHER UPDATES

If you enjoy STEM comics, you may want to check my latest Oge Retla comics - Genome where I strongly argue why all people are cat people by nature. LINK:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBGRRth2HA/

In case someone needs a pregnancy guide, a fellow creator has put that up as well. LINK:

https://gumroad.com/a/392926323/QWxvO

And since I talked about colour wheel here, you may want to read my Colour Theory ebook. LINK:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SangitaEkka/extras


I hope that was helpful. Please let me know so I can bring more insightful content to you. To receive these messages diectly in your email you may follow me here or on Gumroad.

I'll see you next time. Till then, take care.

Love,

Sangita




SOCIAL HANDLES

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SangitaE007

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwilldieanartist/

Telegram's Visual Arts Support Group: https://t.me/visualartssupportgroup

My Telegram channel for all updates in one place: https://t.me/i_will_die_an_artist_se

Enjoy this post?

Buy Sangita Ekka a beer

More from Sangita Ekka