10 shodo from zen practice

These ten calligraphies were made during a 100-day Zen practice period with my dharma brother, teacher, and friend, Koho Vince Anila of the Still Point Zen Center in Detroit.

Every ten days—alongside zazen, journal writing, and clay work—I created one shodo.

Some were inspired by I Ching readings. Others came from poems, teachings, memories, or moments from my own practice.

Over many days—sometimes making dozens or even hundreds of attempts—I’d repeat the same character or phrase again and again.

I eliminated most. Often, Hitomi would help intuitively narrow them down. Eventually, I’d land on one that, as I brushed it, felt like it carried the energy I was trying to embody: fluid, centered, simple, alive.

It wasn’t about getting it right. It was about staying with the process until something true emerged—something that felt less like I had made it and more like it had made itself through me.