A Word from a Late Starter

“Weaving comes down to the weaver,
And the weaver is determined by his/her heart.”

Why?

Because…

“As long as the firm foundation is there, any skills or techniques, no matter how extreme or other-worldly, can be built upon it.”

He also said,

“One’s technique or skill will never be greater than oneself.“

He was a late starter.

He only began exploring the craft for which he is now known—dyeing and weaving—at the age of 33.

But he was not a late bloomer.
Long before choosing his craft, he had already devoted himself to what he considered its true foundation: the cultivation of the heart.

*

My modern-day, gentler interpretation is this…

“As long as you have cultivated yourself, it’s never too late to start anything. You’ve got you.“

「織りは人なり
人は心なり」

33歳で染織の世界に入った祖父・宗廣力三は、しかし、「遅咲き」ではなかった

染めと織りを通して実現したかった「心を育てる」という仕事を
農業や、開拓や、日々の暮らしの中で実践することをずっとしてきたから。

「心さえ育っていれば、技術は後からついて来る」

「人は、自分以上のものはつくれないものですね」とも語っていた。

*

これを、現代に生きる私たちが参考にするなら…

「自身という土台ができていれば、何を始めるにも遅すぎるということはない」と前向きに解釈したい。

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