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Silence at Eiheiji Temple, Japan (14"x21", 2005)

Whether you sell your art or not, we all know how important customer service is.  We all have been on the receiving end, first of all, as a customer and remember how we felt when we were treated nicely or rudely.  That experience often determines whether we want to favor or avoid the business we dealt with.

Now, going back in history to the 16th century, there was a well-known master of tea ceremony in Japan, Sen no Rikyu who described the art of tea in simple language.  He said, "the way of tea is naught but this: first you boil water, then make the tea; then you drink it properly."  I mentioned Rikyu because his famous words ichigo ichie is one that I try to keep in mind when it comes to customer service.  Ichigo ichie is usually translated in English as "one time, one meeting" or "one encounter, one chance."  Simple yet very profound, this expression reminds us that we must treat every meeting with somebody as if the meeting were the last chance to interact with him/her.

As we spend more time online nowadays, we are having less and less face-to-face meetings.  Some messages are just hard to get across in written words alone.  We cram our day with so many to-do’s though not everything is absolutely necessary.  We live a very hurried life, maybe not spending enough time in each meeting, on-line or not, with our customers.  I am talking about myself.  Maybe it is not a bad idea to drop everything and have a nice cup of tea once in a while.  And think about the importance of ichigo ichie.

"Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea, tea will drink you up." – Sen no Rikyu

- Read more on Sen no Rikyu and ichigo ichie.

- Visit my website to view other paintings in my Japanese Landscapes Collection.

Silence at Eiheiji Temple, Japan

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 14 x 21 inches

Purchase: Sold