A friend of mine recently sent me a link to this video, saying, “This seems right up your alley,” or words to that effect. It describes the Japanese art of Hikaru Dorodango, which means, literally, Shiny Dumpling.
Basically, one forms a mud ball, about the size of a cue ball, allows it to dry, and then polishes it with finely sifted dirt until it shines. That’s it.
But making a perfectly round ball is not as easy as you might think. And it will be very fragile, so you have to take care not to crack it. And the dirt you use to shine it will determine its final color and texture. No two are alike.
My friend was right. This is right up my alley. This seems like a very zen-like activity. Art for art’s sake. And in this increasingly stressful and unsatisfying world in which we live, the thought of making a high-end mud pie of sorts appeals to me greatly. I mean, if given the choice between creating one of these and reading Trump’s latest outrageous tweet, I’ll go for the shiny dumpling every single time.
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