Here's a story about an old man who insisted on writing calligraphy for decades.
Nowadays people seldom write calligraphy, but practice it. I don't think so. Calligraphy is China's writing art, including true cursive script, running script and cursive script. Writing with a brush is called calligraphy, which is obviously inappropriate. It is not necessarily appropriate for primary school students to write with a brush as a calligraphy class. Nowadays, primary schools don't pay much attention to students' writing, so it is necessary to teach students to write with a brush. But it's not calligraphy yet. Just write it neatly. That's what I mean when I say brush calligraphy instead of calligraphy.
I began to learn to write Chinese calligraphy when I was a child. At that time, the brush was still used as a writing tool in society, and the brush character was still popular among the people and people's lives. Later (it should be after 1950s), the brush was replaced by pen, pencil and ballpoint pen. Brush calligraphy can only survive in the art of calligraphy, and now the use of brush is only as a tool to practice calligraphy. But there are still very few people who like to write letters with a brush, and I am one of them.
For decades, I have always loved the art of calligraphy, and whenever I have time, I will start writing. It was after 1985 that I really realized that brush calligraphy can cultivate a person's accomplishment. 1985 I had a serious heart attack. I was hospitalized for more than 9 months and almost died. After leaving the hospital, I went to a nursing home for rehabilitation. I was so bored that I wanted to write calligraphy to kill time. I like Liu Gongquan's "Shence Army Monument", so I began to practice writing.
To my surprise, writing brush calligraphy can not only relieve boredom, but also be beneficial to conditioning after writing for a long time. When writing block letters, I sit straight or stand at my desk and write with my elbows down; I write in print. I began to write, write and collect writing according to the formal methods I learned. I usually insist on writing for more than an hour or two. After doing this for a while, I feel stronger and more comfortable. Because when practicing calligraphy in this way, the spirit is completely focused on writing, and there is no other distractions. Moreover, hanging your elbow to write is also a kind of physical exercise, which is also an exercise for your body. During my illness, I insisted on writing in calligraphy. Since then, writing brush characters has become a part of my life. It has been almost 20 years now.
When I first started practicing calligraphy, I felt tired after writing for a long time, but now I don't feel this way. I still write Chinese calligraphy every day, but I have rewritten it in cursive. I don't want to be a calligrapher, but since I write with a brush, I must abide by the writing rules of the brush. To write block letters, we must emphasize the brushwork of block letters. Take the post seriously. Because I learned the basic knowledge of China's calligraphy when I was a child, it is convenient to write. I practiced running script when I was a child, which brought me convenience in learning cursive script now.
I said that writing brush strokes can cultivate a person's accomplishment. First of all, it is good for health, because it is a kind of physical exercise. Secondly, writing brush strokes must focus on the spirit, write wholeheartedly, and eliminate all distractions, which is very beneficial to cultivate the mind. Just like qigong.
I have been writing brush calligraphy for decades, and my experience tells me that it is good for my health. So I suggest that elderly friends who are interested in this can give it a try. Friends who haven't studied can also take part in a class to lay the foundation and then practice by themselves. Our purpose is to cultivate self-cultivation, not for "home", but since we have written it, we must pursue "good", and it doesn't matter whether it is good or not. I write calligraphy as a way for Tai Ji Chuan to exercise, but the reason is the same, and all roads lead to the same goal.