• Creating Wabi Sabi Blogs



    There are an estimated 35 million blogs in the world.

    I've only read a few of them, but I continue to search for ones that are more wabi sabi and less garrulous. As a writer with poetic inclinations and a persistent word addiction I understand the temptation to generate effusive prose. But I know that readers are tired of rambling opinion pieces and want blogs that showcase the blogger's authentic voice and highlight her salient experiences.

    To produce a wabi sabi blog:

    1. Edit. Free write your blog, then edit it mercilessly with focused attention.


    2. Re-write. Place your insights and musings in an imaginary poetry vat and boil off the bulk and foam. Leave me the sweet condensed elixir.


    3. Describe Instead of Expound. Fiona Robyn's "a Small Stone...picked up on a long walk and carried home in your pocket" (http://asmallstone.blogspot.com/) is a good example of how to do it right.
    4. Take time. Remember Blaise Pascal’s comment, "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."


    5. Keep it short. The best length is about 200 words. This article is 200 words at the end of this point, beyond that you are asking for an extended amount of a readers attention. Consider making it optional reading as I have done below.

    More on Wabi Sabi Blogs:
    One aspect of blogs is inherently wabi sabi; their free access. Membership in a community library or a modest computer with internet access allows you to browse millions of blogs, over 35 million world wide, and allows you to join in the fun and start your own. Below are some favorites that contain wabi sabi elements either in their execution or content:

    1. Fiona Robyn's "A Small Stone...picked up on a long walk and carried home in your pocket" (http://asmallstone.blogspot.com/). Short paragraphs of pure observation.

    2. Roger Bourland's "East of Eden" (https://citrus.wordpress.com/). This blog has the deepest expression of wabi sabi I have seen so far. Check out the May 28th, 2006 post for an example.

    3. David A. Giacalone's "Dagosan's Haiku Diary" (http://dagosanshaikudiary.blogspot.com/). Best Haiku blog discovered so far.

    4. David A. Giacalone's "Simply Senryu" (http://simplysenryu.blogspot.com). Best Senryu blog discovered so far.

    5. Eric Houck Jr's "Haiku and Senryu" (http://www.ericshaiku.blogspot.com). Along with Eric's fine haiku and photos is a good list of other haiku blogs.

    6. Alex Beauchamp's "Words" section (http://www.alexthegirl.com/words/) at her extensive website. Not a blog in the strictest sense, but the first few lines reveal her wabi sabi inclination.

    7. Donna Woodka's "Changing Places" (http://www.woodka.com). Donna is currently writing thoughtful reflections on Taoism, but her archives are also worth perusing.

    8. Prof. John Maeda's "Simplicity" (http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY/). A curious attempt to reveal the deep complexity within the study of simplicity.

    9. Garr Reynold's "Presentation Zen" (http://presentationzen.blogs.com) a blog on the issues related to professional presentation design, but useful to those interested in design in general.

    10. Dave Pollard's "How to Save the World" (http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/). An interesting mix of activism, ecological sensitivity, entrepreneurial insight, and literary panache.

    11. Photo Blogs, etc.


    Contact: inboxonmars@yahoo.ca