Day 30: SOKEN

SOKEN (Japanese) invention, creation, originality

創見

Tomorrow's word is coming to you this evening so you can get a good head start on our last day of the 30 in 30 Sgraffito Challenge... Tomorrow (Jan. 30) will be the last day you'll be able to add your photo links to the blog, as the links will expire.  If you made it all the way through, Congratulations!!  If not, keep working! There is no time limit for learning :)

Thank you for allowing me to clog up your minds with all of my word-nerdiness this month,  I bet your brains are totally overloaded with my curious nonsense by this time~
 (hee hee)  Here's the last of the Japanese for awhile.....

Here is an EYE. By itself it just looks pretty.

When an eye gets a pair of legs, it becomes
SEE.  Now it can make things happen!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

next to SEE

 'hand, gate, mouth, and river'

makes a new expression... 

SOKEN

Invention, Creation, Originality.

It takes all those things to make an eye gain a vision, opening the gate to let the originality, creation, and invention flow out like a river.

I hope my little challenge has given your eyes a pair of legs, and some good winter exercise for your hands and hearts and minds.  xx

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Day 29: Chūshin

Chūshin (Japanese)  Heart, core, mind, inside feeling.

CHUSHIN

Here we are with only one day to go in this challenge, and you have all done so well... To the participants who haven't 'officially' posted your drawings here on my blog, thank you for sending them to me. I love to see your interpretations! 

Today's word, chūshin, has a lot to do with emotion.  
In Japanese, I think its appropriate that words dealing with emotion often involve a kanji that represents the word 'HEART'.  Most of us would likely agree that the heart is the root of human emotion, and that 'expressions of the heart' are amongst the most difficult to understand...  How can you use black glass powder to express the most difficult things? 

Hopefully you'll get some insight on how to approach your abstract drawings after seeing how the Japanese language breaks down abstract ideas to make them more concrete...

This is 'kokoro', the kanji that expresses the english word 'heart'. 4 strokes.
I try to remember it by thinking about the 4 chambers of
the heart, and not 4 literal strokes.  Ha Ha.

,

When you add 'center' above the heart, you have 'Chūshin',
which is the core, center, or essence of the heart and inside mind.  
Beautiful, isn't it?

Remember how the kanji for man was a field with a sword?
If you add 'field' to 'heart' you end up with the expression
THINK.
'The field of your heart' = think.  I love this one too.

This heart has a 'double center' above it,
which expresses 'pierce'.
The combination of 'pierce' and 'heart' means...
ANXIOUS.
A pierced heart is exactly how 'anxious' feels to me.
How about you?

This 'kokoro' has the kanji for 'opposite' or 'opposing'
 above it.  Together they mean...
SAD. 
Opposite the heart.

Uh oh... up there in the upper left is that woman again.
This time she doesn't have a broom, but the kanji next to her makes her a slave.
Add a kokoro (heart) below, and you get 
RAGE.
The kanji guys weren't so dumb, were they?

Finally, I think it's a good thing to end on a positive feeling.  Here is the kanji that expresses the emotion of LOVE.  

It's complicated, of course.  This one can also mean 'affection', or 'favorite', just like the English word for love.

The top kanji means 'Hand'. under it is a 'roof', then our sweet 'kokoro'.  The final part of this kanji combination means 'progress'.  
'The hand puts a protective roof over the heart + progress' =

LOVE.   

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Day 28: KASHIMASHII

Kashimashii (Japanese) Noisy, Mischievous 

Kashimashii has more than one meaning, so today you can choose the definition you like best for your abstract drawing.  I chose this word for several reasons-
 First, kashimashii is just fun to say, 
and because it's a bit onomatopoeic, it's also fun to hear someone else say it!
 The kanji appears to be a wee bit more than slightly 'politically incorrect', too:)
and I think it fits its 'mischievous' definition well!

Let's start with a quick picture of the kanji meaning 'man' along with the kanji for 'woman'.

This is 'man'. Recognize the 'Chikara'?  The window shape means 'field'.
A man is a strong worker in the field.

And 'woman'. This always reminded me of crossed legs.

When 'woman' becomes 'wife' she gets a broom, unfortunately.

When 'man' becomes 'husband' he is no longer in a field and he gets a nice belt.

And here we have it... KASHIMASHII.
  Noisy. Mischievous. Women.
Something tells me that while the ancient women were busily sweeping up the house, the men were out in their fancy belts making up future politically incorrect kanji.  LOL.  I should also mention that the kanji for the word 'ridicule' is two women with a man in between.... Hmmm...

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Day 27: KOTOBA

Kotoba (Japanese):   Word.

This month's challenge has been all about words, and finding ways to express them abstractly and artistically.  The Japanese language is FULL of wonderful examples of expression with abstract ideas, and I'd love to share a few more kanji with you over the next few days.  Hopefully you'll enjoy them while you're working on your abstract sgraffito drawing of the word that means "Word".  

This character means 'mouth'

When you add the character that means
'Feeling' above the mouth, it makes the
expression "Kotoba".... Word. Feelings from the mouth.

Kotoba with 2 fires beside it?
Talking, conversation, discussion.

'Person' next to Kotoba...
Trust, believe.

Kotoba beside a sword and a heart?
Endure, acknowledge.  Can you see
Yesterday's word for "power" up there?
That extra stab makes it a sword.

And finally, Kotoba with a river beside it.
A river of words.... It means Teach, learn.
I love it!

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Day 26: CHIKARA

Chikara: (Japanese)  Power, strength, force.

I promised that we'd come back around to Japanese eventually, and here we are at Day 26 already! You're all doing a great job with your abstract sgraffito drawings, and I love seeing how you interpreted the words. It's definitely a challenge to think abstractly, and I'll bet your minds have had quite a workout aside from building your sgraffito skills!

Today I'd like to share a few easy Japanese kanji,  and also show you a little bit about how the simple kanji (characters) fit together like pictures to express a more complex ideas (word nerd alert, again...)

  This is what 'Chikara' looks like.  It's one of 80 kanji learned in the 1st grade in Japan. Only two strokes, and the horizontal one comes first (stroke order matters). Chikara is a root for many other words, and when it's put together with other kanji, it can express all kinds of things!  For example, when three "Chikara' kanji are put together along with the kanji meaning "Ten, or complete", you get "Ten Powers", "Ten-Strength" or "Ten-Force". 

This in turn becomes part of the kanji that make the words for 'cooperate, society, association, and compromise'.  Power in numbers- Pretty neat isn't it?  

I'd really like to thank everyone in the Fused Glass Sgraffito Facebook group for being so encouraging and kind toward each other during these drawing challenges. In the often negative realm of social media, I'd say we have a "Ten-Chikara" thing going on for sure! 

For today's abstract drawing, show us how YOU describe Chikara using black powdered glass. 

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Day 25: MAMIHLAPINATAPAI

Mamihlapinatapai

Noun. (Yaghan)

A silent acknowledgement and understanding between two people, who are both wishing or thinking the same thing (and are both unwilling to initiate).

My guess is that most people have experienced this, and although I cannot begin to pronounce it, I think it is a pretty cool looking word.  (Spellcheck has had it's way with me the last few days... Take that- Spellcheck!)

Examples I can come up with when mamihlapinatapai might happen... 

Looking into the eyes of a loved one when you both know hospice is the next step.

A leader's expression with his or her staff when it's time to declare war.

Spouses that cannot get along realizing that divorce is inevitable.

Capturing that acknowledgement for me is most easily seen watching from the outside, when I myself don't have to be participant in mamihlapinatapai, but as a witness to it in the expressions of others.

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Day 24: YA' ABURNEE

Ya' aburnee

Noun. (Arabic)

Literally, 'you bury me'.  A beautifully morbid declaration of one's hope that they will die before another person, as it would be too difficult living without them.

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Day 23: GOYA

Goya
Noun. (Urdu)

A transporting suspension of disbelief- An "as-if" that feels like reality- such as in good storytelling.

I love this word!  Anyone who has ever read a great story and allowed themselves to become part of that other life, world, time, and place will understand it well.  I'm sure there is also a word for the sadness you feel when the story ends and you realize you're 'back in your world' and you never really left.

I found this word in a book titled "Lost in Translation", by Ella Frances Sanders.  Here is what the author has to say about 'Goya'...

"Goya is the realm of make-believe, of amazing stories that make you forget what you're doing and where you are--- stories that give you wings and send you soaring across mountain ranges that you never knew existed, or voyaging across oceans even though you don't know how to sail."

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Day 22: FORELSKET

Forelsket

Noun. (Norwegian)

The indescribable euphoria experienced as you begin to fall in love.

Ok, so this could maybe coincide with "infatuation" but it's still different, don't you think?  This one describes the actual FEELING of beginning to fall in love, where infatuation (to me at least) kind of reduces the feeling in a way.  When I think of 'infatuation' I think of people being dumbed by the initial feelings of falling in love.  To me,  Forelsket is different.  I think it's more about describing   the 'tickle' and dreamy anticipation that you feel along with infatuation,  without the added connotation of being blinded by emotion and lust.  What do you think?  Share your drawing and your thoughts behind it!

By the way...
I hate to say this, but....I have to pay $ in order to host the challenge links that help you post your drawings to the blog page. I signed up for a one month subscription during the challenge, so if you'd like to have your drawings posted to my blog page, get them on ASAP!  The window to upload your work will end on 1/31/2016.  If you haven't tried to upload your work to the blog page yet, please give it a try! For the Facebook group people, there is a tutorial with pictures if you click on the "Files" folder on the Sgraffito page.  You can use any photo from your computer, instagram, phone, or blog.

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Day 21: WALDEINSAMKEIT

Waldeinsamkeit

 Noun.  (German-..... Any Germans out there who'd like explain pronunciation on this one? ha!)

The feeling of being alone in the woods, An easy solitude and a connectedness to nature.

This one may be difficult to think of in an abstract way... Go back to the definition and break it down.  Take out the words that form instant pictures in your mind like woods and nature, and keep first the abstract qualities: solitude, connectedness, easy...  What shape does that smell have? What does the sound look like? Try your best to avoid drawing trees, you can do it!

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Day 20: HIRAETH

Hiraeth

Noun.  (Welsh)

A homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to, the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were.



Everyone is doing a lovely job with this abstract challenge! If you find that you don't have the time to do all of them, don't worry about it! Even if all you do is think about the word and what it feels like to you, it's still time well spent. Thinking in abstract ways is good for your brain and helps you develop conceptual work in your mind, even if you don't lift a finger.

Speaking of not lifting a finger, I found an interesting video clip that features a nifty little robot that uses sand to write on sidewalks in public places.... Sand graffiti?  Sgraffiti?

I like.
If you'd like to see it in action, Check it out!

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Day 19: JUGAAD

Jugaad

Noun. (Hindi)

Ensuring that things happen even with minimal resources, even if they happen 'by hook or by crook'

"Jugaad has all but become a movement". According to author Ella Frances Sanders, " Solving every-day problems with a combination of frugal innovation and local intelligence, perhaps even bending the rules slightly, brings people's creativity and improvisational skills to the surface."

And this, my glass friends, is exactly what we all do on our Facebook Glass Boards, isn't it?  Does that make us Jugaadists?  LOL.  

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Day 18: TREPVERTER

Trepverter

Noun.  (Yiddish)

A witty riposte or comeback you think of only when it's too late to use.  
Literally means 'staircase words'.

Yiddish is absolutely filled with funny sounding descriptive words for things.  Shlameil, shlamazel, and Donald Trump's favorite... Schlong. Lol  The press came up with plenty a TREPVERTER after the Republican debate. (Sorry, I couldn't resist) No politics happening here, show me your abstract interpretations!

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Day 17: RESFEBER

Resfeber

Noun. (Swedish)

The restless beat of a traveler's heart before the journey begins. A mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

I love it when you find a word that describes what you've experienced, but didn't have a word for!  I feel 'resfeber' every time I get ready to teach at a new studio. My dad told me that he waits until the last minute to pack for a major trip because he doesn't feel resfeber until then.  How about you?

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Day 16: NUNCHI

Nunchi

Noun.  (Korean)

The subtle, often unnoticed art of listening and gauging another's mood.

Word Nerd Alert:

This is the first of several foreign words I chose for the challenge which do not have a comparable word translation in the English language.  The first time I realized that words like this exist (in my youthful ignorance) I was sitting in college Japanese class.  We were studying weather, and my professor was trying to explain the many different Japanese words that fall right through the words I know for describing 'rain' in English.  My words: Rain, Drizzle, Sprinkle, Shower, Downpour, etc.  make up the gamut of what I can call 'Rain'.

  Some of my favorite Japanese rain words are:
 Juuu = once in 10 days rain, ten-kyuu = rain from a cloudless sky, and yau = night rain.

The Japanese language has so many beautiful translations of ideas and qualities that I can't find an equal way to say using an English word. Be prepared to hear more about it in future challenge posts.  Xxx

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Day 15: CONTENTMENT

contentment

noun  con·tent·ment   \kən-ˈtent-mənt\

• : the state of being happy and satisfied : the state of being content.
  Great work and thought, everyone!  Tomorrow starts something new....

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Day 14: DESPAIR

1

despair

Noun.  de·spair   \di-ˈsper\

: The complete loss or absence of hope.

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Day 13: SLAVERY

slavery

noun  slav·ery   \ˈslā-v(ə-)rē\

The state of a person who is a chattel of another.
Submission to a dominating influence.  

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Day 12: MOTIVATION

motivation

noun  mo·ti·va·tion   \ˌmō-tə-ˈvā-shən

• : the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something : the act or process of motivating someone
• : the condition of being eager to act or work : the condition of being motivated
• : a force or influence that causes someone to do something

For all of you who might be wondering how these exercises can benefit you, I stumbled across a wonderful TED talk today that deals with that question beautifully... 

"How Messy Problems Can Inspire Creativity".  

In light of David Bowie's passing this week (he was a creative hero of mine),  I'd like to also share with you the genius of musician Brian Eno, who has been a constant inspiration to so many great musicians.  It's relevant to all creative people, not just those who express themselves through music.

So, if you're looking for a source for motivation to be better than you are right now, this story is one you should check out!

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Day 11: INFATUATION

in·fat·u·a·tion

inˌfaCHəˈwāSH(ən

Noun

1:  an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something.

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Day 10: ELEGANCE

elegance

noun  el·e·gance   \ˈe-li-gən(t)s\

1. 1a  :  refined grace or dignified propriety :  urbanityb  :  tasteful richness of design or ornamentation <the sumptuous elegance of the furnishings>c  :  dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style :  polish <the essay is marked by lucidity, wit, and elegance>d  :  scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity <the elegance of a mathematical proof>

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Day 9: FRAGILITY

fragility

fra·gil·i·ty

/frəˈjilədē/

a  :  having the quality of being easily broken or destroyed < fragility of a vase>b  :  the state of being constitutionally delicate :  lacking in vigor < fragility of a child>

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Day 8: Justice

justice

noun  jus·tice   \ˈjəs-təs\

1.  the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments.2.  the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.

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Day 7: ENVY

1

envy

noun  en·vy   \ˈen-vē\

:  painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.

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Day 6: WASTE

waste

Noun.    \ ˈwāst\

: loss of something valuable that occurs because too much of it is being used or because it is being used in a way that is not necessary or effective

: an action or use that results in the unnecessary loss of something valuable

: a situation in which something valuable is not being used or is being used in a way that is not appropriate or effective
WASTE is a tough one to think about when you're trying not to think about 'things'.  Probably the first visuals that come to mind are crumpled papers, recycling bins, food that rots before it is eaten, etc.  To get our minds off of the kinds of objects that waste could be, it helps to focus on the abstract words in the definition... The LOSS. the fact that it's unnecessary use, or lack of use that causes something to lose its value.   In my sketch, I wanted to give a sense of the upright usefulness, uniqueness, and value of the right side shapes before they became 'waste'. I then added the dark areas on top of them to hide their value', and added shadows as a sort of recollection of 'what was and could have been' on the left, representing the past. Little glints of the former unwasted quality are hinted at by removing a little of the dark powder.  I looked at it upside down and from each side, and decided that the way I really like it best is upside down.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I just can't mention the word 'waste' to you without also mentioning my absolute favorite art documentary, Vik Muniz's "Wasteland". Here is a link to the movie trailer  on YouTube.It's one that I could watch over and over again and I recommend it to every human. It will make you smile, cry, and cheer all at the same time. So if you need a little break from the challenge tonight and a dose of inspiration, hop on over to Netflix and give it a watch. I just might!  Xxx

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