I try to listen to what others say – especially what my friends say. A voice from a new friend taught me one thing. What I am doing right now – [Sharing the Sashiko Story to fulfill the missing parts of what Sashiko/Boro is] – is the same action in Sashiko, and then Boro. I often feel ashamed calling myself Sashiko artisans because I do not stitch as much as I wish. However, if sharing a Sashiko Story may be following Sashiko’s principle… It was an interesting thought.
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The word “Sashiko” and “Boro” got their own legs and started walking (言葉の一人歩き – Kotoba no Hitori Aruki). There is nothing wrong with this unless the words are solely pushed by “marketing” purposes. People interpret words as they wish. They try to expand their belief with these new “words”. When new value is added to the word, the word itself expands its meaning – like connecting the fabric. It is fun to enlarge our field, possibility, and admiration. However, someone gotta pay attention to what is going on in the original place – often, it gets damaged in the process of expanding. Here, Sashiko in English is not wrong, but insufficient – “missing”. My work now is to layer stories so that the words “Sashiko” and “Boro” can sustain their own meaning.
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This applies to us as humans. It is fun, rewarding, and exciting to try something new – to expand what we do. Ambition brought us to this convenient world. However, in a process of expanding, there may be something missing in the original – the foundation of “expansion” from. To mend it, layering is important. All I do is for Inclusion, not exclusion. I just want you & us to see where we all started from – either we would do connecting, layering, or simply stitching.
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「貴方が今していることって、布の補強と似ているよね」と、斬新な方向からお言葉を頂いて。考えれば考えるほど、確かに共通点はあるなと思うのです。使われる布（言葉）の中で、解れ（誤解）があったり、薄く（単純化）された場所に当て布（物語）をしたり。時に針を持つ時間が少なくなることで自分を責めてしまうこともあるのですが、こうやって物語を書くことも刺し子の本質に繋がっているのだと思うと、少し気が楽になったりするのです。英語圏での刺し子は間違っていないのですが、足りてもいません。「繋げて広くする」と考えるのは、刺し子の解釈を広げるのと一緒で、本質に近づくことと同義ではありません。同じ話を繰り返しても良いんだと少し思うようになりました。そうか、私の刺し子物語は、当て布をして刺し子をしているのと似通っているんだ。
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2022-08-02 06:21:29
Perhaps Atsushi is too humble to accept and embrace certain positive observations of his unique style of sharing Sashiko –
IMHO I am exceptionally fortunate to have a Sashiko Artisan so fully committed to Sashiko that he has instinctively chosen a way to share Sashiko with us that both honors and reflects a spirit of Sashiko itself.
Atsushi is sharing Sashiko – stitch by stitch, patch by patch — not sharing everything all at once and all together in one big book, but rather sharing it piece by piece, adding layer upon layer – with podcasts, stories, insta posts, on-line classes, workshops, packages, interviews, lectures – and when there is a gap or hole in understanding of Sashiko he fills the gap and strengthens understanding with more discussion and more opportunities for sharing.
Perhaps this approach, as Sashiko itself, is also borne of necessity – it would be a major undertaking to try to write and publish the definitive book on Sashiko (as if Sashiko begins and ends and can be contained in a book). Perhaps it is the nature of the beast – Sashiko has taken generations to evolve and the stories of Sashiko continue to be written.
IMHO I am fortunate to have the opportunity to learn Sashiko in this way from this Sashiko Artisan. I am sure others will agree
YOU are the thread between the past and present, between the Japanese and the English speakers. YOU are holding the layers together.
布の補強と足りない理解への補足、、言われてみればよく似ていますね。
Good to find thoughts that work in different fields as well🙌🙏