Creativity and the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging

by MARA ALVERSON

When I asked myself when I’ve felt the most creative, when I’ve had that feeling of flow, peace, satisfaction, and a finished product to show for it, I thought of my experiences in Japanese flower arranging.

I was privileged to study Ikebana with an Ikenobo Master Teacher at the Buddhist Temple in Watsonville for several years, and although her English was sketchy and my Japanese nonexistent, her flower arrangements touched me deeply and spoke volumes about the beauty of ancient and eternal forms and the content that brings them to life. This study taught me about balance, contrast, and the gifts of simplicity and minimalism.

As I was gathering materials today for an arrangement, I remembered my first lesson in flower arranging at the age of six or seven on my grandmother’s farm. I can still picture us sitting together at the dining table. She was teaching me about the ideal proportions between the height of the arrangement and the height and width of the container. We used field daisies and Queen Anne’s Lace from the pasture. She must have seen how alive I was to this combination of flowers and form. How lucky I was to be exposed to this art at such a young age!

The Dance of Form and Content

The original school of Japanese flower arranging is more than 550 years old and originated with priests who made these arrangements for Kyoto’s Rokkaku-dō temple. Although today Ikebana is mainly practiced by young women, there was a time when no Samurai was considered fully trained until he had mastered the floral art. There are several traditional arrangement styles that have been handed down through the centuries that conform to fixed proportions and shapes. These recipes have a harmony, energy, and balance that reflects their beauty and timelessness. Within the prescribed structure, however, there is unlimited room for variety and combinations of materials, making each arrangement a unique creation.

To read the complete essay, go to Creativity and the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging.