“Look at the brushstrokes, the composition, the energy of the artist’s hand . . .”

The way we tend to look at art in the West is the same way calligraphy has been viewed in East Asian countries like China, Korea and Japan for thousands of years. In part, it’s about the visual roots of Chinese characters, which play a role in the written language of all of these cultures. They began as pictograms—drawings of objects that served as words—and evolved over millennia to incorporate abstract concepts and many more layers of linguistic and cultural meaning. In a sense, it was a profound artistic expression from the beginning.

The Change Your Energy Art Gallery features many calligraphic works by Ilchi Lee—our founder, New York Times bestselling author, and Tao energy master. Some of the works are based on Chinese characters while others are more illustrative. They’re fun to look at, but to experience the full power of these pieces, we have to understand what’s going on beneath the surface.

Quick story: It is said that when the Chinese Emperor Ming of Han heard that a beloved cousin was close to death, he asked his cousin to write down ten characters for him. It didn’t matter which characters—having his cousin’s calligraphy would allow the emperor to stay close to his cousin’s spirit even after his departure from the physical body. Every brushstroke reveals something about the one who holds the brush, capturing and expressing their essence in ink on paper.

A number of spiritual traditions use calligraphy as a form of meditation for this reason. By emptying one’s mind and becoming totally absorbed in the present moment while writing, practitioners connect to the Source of Life within them and transmit this pure energy into the art. And to complete the circle, those who view the art can feel it and become more connected themselves.

Ilchi Lee has put these energy principles into his calligraphic art, making each piece while in deep meditation.



He says:

“My soul is expressed whenever I pick up a brush, dip it in ink, and let it glide across paper. With my back and brush held straight, I relax into the flow of energy. The brush moves on its own, creating shapes and meanings I become aware of simultaneously. The wisdom and energy of life reveals itself freely moment by moment and is communicated in each brushstroke . . .”

Taoist calligraphy embodies principles of Tao—following the path of nature, the essence of Life and the oneness of all that is. A beautiful example is the practice of taking a multi-stroke character or idea, and writing it in only one stroke, with one breath, merging body, mind and spirit as one, and dissolving the individual self into universal oneness. You can see some single-stroke elements in several of Ilchi Lee’s works.

These practices result in calligraphy with a powerful vibrational field that carries positive messages for you and humanity, such as: being bright, happiness, encountering the one, and cosmic mind.

To deepen the experience of its energy, you can meditate with the art. Another practice is to trace the strokes with your finger or in your mind while you connect to its presence. This is how you can transform negative energy into positive, and heal and rejuvenate yourself on all levels.

About his calligraphy, Ilchi Lee says:

“I love this space and time for sending spirit and energy flowing into the world. With these images, I hope every human being discovers their value and life force within them and expresses them in their lives."

You can check out the calligraphy art, as well as chakra prints and other powerful energy art in the Change Your Energy gallery here.