November 30th, 2009 by Keith

Last month I was fortunate enough to attend the workshops held here in Washington,DC by our local chapter of Ikebana International . Mr. Shuji Ikeda of the Ikenobo school of Ikebana conducted the workshops, held on a particularly rain soaked Saturday morning. Mr. Ikeda was really inspiring and genuinely enjoyed every moment of both workshops. His ikebana students are lucky to have someone who loves what he does, and uses that knowledge and wisdom in such an energetic way. Both sections of the workshop gave me some insight into Ikenobo Ikebana, but I came away with a much deeper appreciation of Sogetsu. Ikenobo, being a classical school of ikebana, is very structured. Sogetsu has a very modern approach, and much more freedom. Perhaps that is what I like so very much about it , that it allows me greater personal expression.

Following the workshops I rushed in the rain to get downtown to see Soho Sakai’s demonstration, or so I thought. I got to the hotel to discover that the demonstration had happened the night before. I had written the wrong date on my calender! It was a big shock to me, and I know I missed a great demonstration. I’m still upset about it today. Lesson learned: always check and recheck your dates.