Talent, Passion, and Practice

People tell me that I have a talent for Chado.  But nobody is born being good at tea.  When people are good at something, we assume that they must have a talent for it. This is not necessarily the case.  We love to attribute success to talent.  When we look at successful or professional athletes, we seldom think about the hours and hours of practice that they put in. My brother was an Olympic swimmer. He started competitive swimming at 5 years old.  Growing up, he worked out 5 days a week for a couple of hours and competed on weekends.  When he got to high school, he worked out twice a day, before and after school. When he got a college scholarship, he worked out three times a day, lifted weights, ran 3-5 miles every other day, and did psychological training twice a week.  Did he have a talent for swimming?  Yes, I think so, but to develop that talent it is hard to add up how much work was put into it to rise to the top caliber of his sport.

Passion vs. Facility

Just because people are good at something doesn’t mean they are passionate about it. Some people are good at something not because they are talented but because they want it and work hard for it. I had a friend who was very good at drawing.  He used to do cartoons in school and would do portraits upon request. But he didn’t go on to develop that particular talent. He went on to play in a rock band and spent his time and passion playing music.  He spent all his time learning and playing guitar, even though he was not as good as other guitar players.  He still plays in a rock band to this day and is happy playing around town, recording music and occasionally doing regional road trips.

We have talent, but seldom put in the time

There are lots of talented people in the world, but talent only gets you so far.  Developing the talent to the top ranks takes time, passion and practice.  Even people without talent can develop amazing skills if they are dedicated and want it badly enough.  Lots of things can get in the way of developing talent. Giving it up to pursue a passion, as my guitar friend did, or earning a living making more money in some other field, ordoing something else to fulfill other people’s expectations.

Passion as a motivator

When you have a passion for something, it will help motivate you to do the work that will help you improve.  Passion for running will motivate you to get up and run even on days that you don’t feel like it. It will motivate you to continue running even if it is raining out, or too hot.  Passion helps you through the set backs that inevitably will happen when you pursue a passion.  I will write more at another time about how I found my passion in tea, and how I pursued my dream to become a teacher of Chado.

Focus

In the beginning of tea practice, I really sucked at everything.  I could not fold the fukusa without it ending up a mess with corners flying.  I had a hard time with foot work.  I couldn’t sit down without my knees loudly banging on the floor.  I despaired of ever moving in kimono in the tea room as lightly and gracefully as sensei. Because I wasn’t good at these things, I was reluctant to do them.   Worst of all, I didn‘t focus on what I was doing. I didn’t pay attention to sensei’s instructions, I laughed off my mistakes and continued to make them. My mind would wander and sensei had to scold me, “Margie you are flying again, come back down to earth.”  That is why she called me, The Flying Girl.

But I didn’t get better by coming to class every week, doing my temae and leaving.  When I finally decided that I wanted to pursue a life in tea, I became very focused and started to come early, stay late, and help sensei whenever I could.  And you know what?  When I became serious, that is when sensei began to be more and more strict with me.  She instilled the discipline I needed to practice and improve.

Practice

There is practice in just putting in the hours and there is effective practice.  According to scientific studies, “effective practice is consistent, intensely focused and targeting of content or weaknesses that lie at the edge of one’s current abilities.” That’s another way of saying: Don’t waste your time practicing the stuff you already know, just to fill up those minutes.  Practice with a mind set to improve whatever it is you are not good at.

I know that arranging chabana is one of my weaknesses.  As practice, I set myself the task of arranging chabana everyday for a year.  Because I did not have a chabana garden, that meant that I had to go walking around the neighborhood, look in public parks, parking lots, empty lots, and industrial landscapes to look for material. Some days the only things I could find were weeds growing out of the sidewalk.  I also looked at lots and lots of chabana arrangements made by other people.  But after a year, I feel more confident in making chabana for the tearoom.

Teaching and doing

Often, I give my tea students assignments between classes. Sometimes it is to fold fukusa 30 times in front of a mirror before the next class, making sure that the corners are lined up and the top and bottom are the same width. Other assignments are to look around their life for something wabi and something sabi and bring it to class and explain why they think it is wabi or sabi.  Whenever I give an assignment, I always do the assignment myself.  I never ask students to do things that I wouldn’t do myself.

For myself, I am living the tea life.  I clean the tearoom and mizuya every day even if there is no class that day.  I workout and I sit every day to keep my knees in shape for sitting seiza. I dress in kimono for every class. I make sweets for every class.  I put on at least 2-3 demonstrations of tea a month and I invite people who have never seen tea ceremony before to share a bowl of tea with me in my tea room.

It is my passion that I practice every day.  Some people say I have a talent for tea.

Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/talent-passion-and-practice/

Lunar New Year for Issoan

This year we celebrated the Lunar New Year instead of Hatsugama.  Portland had such a bad winter storm that we had to cancel Hatsugama.  Our gathering took place at the newly opened Cedar Tree Hotel.  The lobby is beautifully understated with a koi pond in the middle!  Stephanie and I named the three koi living there “Sho, Chiku, Bai” the three friends of winter: pine, bamboo, and plum.

We started in the lobby with osayu and then invited the guests to the tea room where there was a welcome display.The shikishi is by Harada Shodo Roshi, Koro itten no yuki,  a single flake above the hearth.  We were lucky to be joined by international guests via zoom.

The scroll reads Yuki ma no kusa, sprouts under the snow.  Tsubaki and Hellebore in a bamboo vase.

After socializing for a few minutes, we enjoyed a nice bento.

After a short break, koicha and usucha at the temae tables built by Mr. SweetPersimmon.  These tables are easy to transport and set up takes about 5 minutes. Guests appreciated that we were at the tables and not sitting seiza the whole time.

The sweet was nerikiri, plum in the snow.  All the guests had a good time.

A big thank you to Stephanie and Gabi for helping to set up and tear down.

Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/lunar-new-year-for-issoan/

Issoan Hatsugama rescheduled

Issoan Hatugama will not take place on Saturday, due to snow, freezing rain and temperatures in teens predicted for this weekend.  Everyone stay home, stay warm, stay safe.  We will reschedule Hatsugama to February 10, the Lunar New Year.  Hope to see you then.

Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/issoan-hatsugama-rescheduled/

Happy New Year in poetry

Six poets gathered on New Year’s Day 2024 at Issoan to celebrate the New Year.   We shared sake, tea tasting, snacks, matcha, sweets, lunch and incense appreciation  during the day while composing a 28 stanza linked verse.  I hope you like the entire poem.

Earth slowly rises
From winter slumber
In the sunshine
And freshness
On this New Year’s Day 

On this New Year’s Day
Seasons turn with the year
Newborn sun warming winter’s blanket
The pitter-patter of snow drops
Joins into nature’s chorus 

Joining into nature’s chorus
The trees are alive
In the early morning
With the sounds of joy
As the frost recedes 

As the frost recedes
The earth thaws
Ground breaks and cracks
Slowly, rapidly, irregularly
Ready for change 

Ready for change
The dark earth is
Newly revealed
Seeds reaching for the sun
Water nourishing life 

Water nourishing life
Pitter patter
Soaking gently
Into the earth
Wafting scent of spring 

Wafting the scent of spring
Carried tenderly
By the breeze
Our spirits rise
In anticipation

In anticipation
Pale rays bursting
Painting the cerulean sky
Rosy fingers warming
The awakening earth 

The awakening earth
Warmed by the sun
Strengthened by the wind
Nurtured by the rain
Branches filled out to the end 

Branches filled out to the end
Hopeful
For the year ahead
Filled with color
A crown of green 

A crown of green
At ends of branches
Bamboo sprouting
In the forest
A brocade of new life 

A brocade of new life
Winter’s cold
Gives way
A colorful quilt
Drapes across the land 

Draped across the land
Trees laden with buds
And the early blossoms
Of plum and witch hazel
Calling us forth 

Calling us forth
The buzz of activity begins
Tending the flowers
The brocade swelling
With the season’s tempo

With the season’s tempo
Blossoms slowly fade away
Increasing abundance comes
Budding fruit weighs the branches
As time and sun nurtures all

As time and sun nurtures all
Days lengthen
Night fades
Stars meet
As the year’s apex passes 

As the year’s apex passes
Birds dance
Into the twilight
And then sleep in the trees
By the rice fields 

The rice fields
Sway in the breeze
Stretching towards the sun
Gathering vitality
Lazy days 

Lazy days
The wood dragon
Rests in the sun
Ripening with the wheat
Until- 

Until-
Threshing begins
Golden silk
Falling in bunches
Songs echoing through the fields

Songs echoing through the fields
Gleaning birds follow the harvest
Corn stalks stack together
Empty skies darken
The coming autumn approaches 

The coming Autumn approaches
Life slows and prepares for sleep
Ponders what has been
Dreams of what will be
The world slips into night

The world slips into night
We dream of running
Along a silver path
Rising in the sky
Bright light in darkness 

Bright light in the darkness
Points of light sparkle
Infinite space
Cold and crisp
The air snaps 

The air snaps
Sky readies itself
We don extra layers
Quilts and hats
Preparing for skyfall 

Preparing for skyfall
Silence descends
A comforting blanket
As flurries dance and twirl
Behind our retreating backs 

Behind our retreating backs
Weather chases us indoors
With red cheeks and cold toes
Under the kotatsu
We dream of things to come 

We dream of things to come
Hopes and goals
The year returns to the start
Repeating, changing and evolving
Always beautiful

Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/happy-new-year-in-poetry/

Running down to the end of the year

As we approach the solstice it seems like I am running downhill as things accelerate. Holiday plans, travel plans, baking, cooking, wrapping gifts, decorating; it all seems to go faster with less time every year as I get older.

This year I am certainly getting the feeling of growing older and approaching the time when I will no longer be able to do things physically as I once did.  It has also been another year of losing friends, teachers, and colleagues who have passed away.  I have always been the youngest teacher in my area, but a whole generation of sensei in their 80s and 90s are retiring, moving to be closer to family who will take care of them, and yes, passing away.

Facing the fact that I am in the Autumn of my life, I am thinking about what will happen to my tearoom, dogu, kimono, and students when I can no longer teach them.  Making plans for the inevitable is never a pleasant thing to do, but I certainly don’t want to leave my spouse, kids, or grandkids with the dilemma of what to do with all the stuff they have no interest in.

This all leads me to think a little more deeply of the talk Oiemoto did when I was at the Midorikai reunion this summer.  Out of the more than 500 people who have been through Midorikai, how many are still involved in tea? How many are actively bringing new people to tea?  How many are teaching? How many are teaching the next generation of teachers?

As the number of teachers in my Tankokai went from about 16 when I joined, to only 3, I looked behind me and saw no new teachers coming up after me. Who will teach the next generation of teachers when we retire? It takes training a long time to become a teacher, plus discipline, dedication, time and money.  It is a lifetime commitment to this passion.

In the coming year, I am calling on long time students of Chado to look at their practice and think about what will happen when your teacher retires or can no longer teach.  If you have been to Midorikai, or have been studying for 10 years or more, how are you helping train the next generation of teachers?  Are you assisting your teacher in ways that will prepare you to step up when they retire? Are you actively building your keikoba, introducing tea to new people, recruiting new students, and helping your kohai to advance in their studies?

I think it is not enough to just come to keiko every week, do your temae and leave. Sure, it is fun to participate in the intensives, reunions, and anniversary events, but are you helping to plan them, organize them, put on chaji, chakai and demonstrations? Who will put together Hatsugama?   Your teachers do it now, but when they no longer do it, what will happen?

In the coming year, think about ways you can assist your teacher, deepen your own practice of tea, and assist others along the way.  And if you think you might want to teach someday, let your teacher know.  It might be time to step up and begin your training as a next generation teacher.

Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/running-down-to-the-end-of-the-year/