The Metropolitan Museum of Art Evening Snow at Kanbara, Edo period (1615–1868), 1834 Ando Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858) Woodblock print; ink and color on paper; 8 7/8 x 13 3/4 in. (22.5 x 34.9 cm) The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936 (JP2492)

Julia Cameron’s second book in her Artist’s Way trilogy is entitled Walking In This World.  For many years, I mis-read this title as Walking In The World, and the difference is notable.  “The” world is inspecific, whereas “This” world is particular.  By focusing on this reality, this moment, we focus on the now.  It is in the now that our power resides, where we access our own inner strength and wisdom.

Cameron uses images in her work of Japanese woodblock prints.  These are fascinating pieces of art, because they’re carved into wood in a negative image and then stamped onto paper as a positive image, colored from there.  I found the image, above, while doing an internet search, but am most familiar with the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.  They have a large collection of works by Hokusai, who is one of the more commonly known woodblock artists.

Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, 1760-1849 Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province (Koshu Isawa no akatsuki), from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)”, c. 1830/33

Not all of their collection is on display, such as this image, but you can page through their website and view an extensive archive of material.  Hokusai focused on images found in nature, particularly mountains and especially Mount Fuji.  He also has some haunting images of ghosts from Japanese folklore.