"I am practicing being talentless, but I find it very hard to do"

Potter Gufu Watanabe spoke to me about his ideal of achieving a flavorful line.  Read more about him in Chapter 8.  

Here are some of his illustrations, from his hand-painted New Years cards that he sent me.  Beautiful as these are, the ideas and philosophy behind them are even more amazing.

"I'm practicing being talentless.  But I find it almost impossible to do. If I could actually get bad at it…but to imitate being bad at it, that just won't work."  We both start laughing.

            "Those pictures from a thousand years ago in Persia came out of the life of poor people then.  So if I lived a similar way, then maybe I could draw such pictures, but I…I live in Japan.  I grew up poor, actually, but all around me, the culture was at a sophisticated level.  That's why no matter how I try, I can't draw a picture like they did.

            "My goal is to draw a line with some 'flavor' to it.    But somehow, I just end up drawing a clean and pretty line, that is to say, a boring line.  I have to destroy that habit."

A flavorful line.  Such a small thing, but such a big thing if you are trying to make good art.

Calling on you to be part of Community Supported Publishing

Here's a big request to all the friends of this book. PLEASE share this widely. My publisher has gone the extra mile to do a 3rd printing, and they are offering a beautiful limited-edition 'folding screen' card with an original piece of calligraphy, AND a signed copy of the book, all for $20, including shipping. Please buy directly from the publisher and keep this book in print for the future.  You can send a link to this blog to your friends by email, or you can tweet or put it on facebook.  If you can do more than one of these, even better.

Get all these, including shipping for $20.

Peter Goodman at Stone Bridge Press puts it this way:

We have just gone back to press for the 3rd printing of A Different Kind of Luxury. With its color pages and unusual format, it is expensive to produce. But we have kept the price under $20 because we think this is one of the most important books we have ever published and want to be sure it stays affordable to readers.

So, we need your help! We know you can buy it elsewhere. But as an act of Community Supported Publishing, if you believe in this book and its important message, would you do us the favor of purchasing from our website for the regular price of $19.95? 

We'd like to thank you for helping us out:

1. A copy of the book personally signed by the author, Andy Couturier.

2. Our gift to you of a miniature “folding screen” featuring inspiring art by Wakako Oe, one of the rural artists from Japan featured in Andy's book.

3. Free shipping within the USA 

4. The good feeling that comes from supporting a worthwhile project and sharing it with your friends and community. 

We want to keep this book in print and need your help to find new readers. Community Supported Agriculture is all about many people sharing resources to support healthy food outside mainstream agribusiness. Why not Community Supported Publishing to share the message of people living, meaningful humble ways  of life?

Please post the link to this limited-time offer on your Twitter feed, Facebook page, or wherever you hang out in space and online. http://stonebridgepress.wazala.com

This fine piece of calligraphy has been made
into a folding card with two great quotes on the back
as an extra gift.

Three years after publication, the new five star reviews keep coming

If you have enjoyed the book, posting a review on Amazon or on Goodreads really helps other people find the book.  Here are some recent ones on Amazon:  

5.0 out of 5 stars Eleven Signposts: This Is The Way!, February 2, 2013

As we make our way through life, we get guidance. The choices that eleven people made about what they could do to improve the quality and significance of their lives are set out in this book for you to consider. It will affect you deeply. Every time you read it, you will find some new insight into how you can change your life, for the better. When you are ready, a teacher appears.

Himalayan signpost and altar:
line drawing by Asha Amemiya
(profiled in Chatper 5)

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reassessment of Priorities, December 4, 2012

This beautifully-written book is about how 11 people realized, usually through foreign travel and deeper investigation into different forms of Buddhism, that they could choose how to live their lives in ways that are far from the norm in modern Japan. Reading about them enables us to look at how we are living our days, weeks and years. Over and over again, Couturier stresses the fact that the greatest luxury of all is time. Slowing down, doing less and enjoying it more are some of the lessons I received from this delicious, luxurious read.

Inside Nakamura's house
(Chapter 2)

5.0 out of 5 stars In Tune with Life, April 13, 2012

I read this book some time ago after seeing the author at a local reading. It was written, of course, before the nuclear tragedy in Japan but is all the more urgent and timely a book because of that accident. Japanese people, along with those elsewhere who rely on nuclear power for their society's voracious power needs, are asking, "Is there another way?" This book points to that way.

The author, who lived in Japan for four years and originally published the interviews in this book along with others in a series for the Japan Times, sought out a number of people who lived simple and happy lives. Mostly living in the countryside, they had dropped out of the frenetic Japanese way of life, instead preferring an abundance of time for contemplation and enjoyment. Each had a quite different story. Some were artists of various kinds, others were craftspersons, some gardened. Likewise, some lived alone, others had families. Some were off the grid but not all of them. But all shared a deep spirituality and sense of wonder that their contemporaries all too often lack.

Life of the Buddha, hand painted
scroll by Akira Ito (Chapter 6)

The author and interviewer chose wisely and edited wisely as well. I might add that the book is beautifully assembled, with pictures that bring the people interviewed to life. If you are looking for hope that a different, gentler way of life is possible, read this book.

Hand dyed fabric hanging by
Jinko Kaneko (Chapter 10)

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Insightful, February 29, 2012

I found "A Different Kind of Luxury" a delightful read. It helped me relax and open my mind to a completely different way of living that is more sustainable, rich and creative. Andy Couturier is an excellent word smith who crafts a delightful image for the mind by combining many different elements of style, much like a delicious meal of many savory spices.