Ready-to-Hand

26 October 2013

"Be bold and adventurous."  Misao Jo, SAORI Pillar 2

“Let’s look out through eyes that shine.”  Misao Jo, SAORI Pillar 3

Why “Ready to Hand”?  It’s a long story, which started a long time ago (during that philosophical journey), but here’s the short version.

The name of the studio comes from the work of the 20th-century philosopher Martin Heidegger, Being and Time (1927).  Most people who read Heidegger's text find it impenetrable.  I was inspired.  "Ready-to-hand" describes our attitude toward things in the world.  We exist in the world always in relation to it and always aware of that relationship.  And we care about it, because to not live with the world is a lonely business. Either we live together with it, or we are isolated from from it.  So we care about a lot.   Being-with the world means living meaningfully with and in it.  When we live in this profoundly caring way, the world is ready-to-hand.

The world is not a burden, but a miracle; our life or work in the world is not burdensome, but perpetual opportunity for caring participation.  We become ready-to-hand. 

At least that’s how I read Heidegger, and why Ready to Hand Studio is ready-to-hand.