What does writing and sushi have in common? Not much per se, unless you're one of those lucky food bloggers hopping around the globe to sample exotic dishes and then flaunt every single juicy detail of it. Shameless. Ah, talk about a dream job! Anyway, tucking that lifestyle envy aside, let's go back to the subject at hand. Maybe if we rephrase that question we could root out something:
What does great writing and great sushi have in common?
Now we're on to something. The answer is contained in one word: simplicity.
The best sushi in the world is not something that is extravagantly prepared. Nor does it boast any frills. In fact, it boils down to the very basics of sushi. A piece of fish on some rice*. But to get that piece of fish right is no easy matter. Like in all art forms, it takes a lifetime to achieve the mastery of simplicity.
Now, let's get things straight here. Simplicity does not mean plain, easy, careless or lack of effort. Much on the contrary.
People are messy. They come with clutter. Whether in ideas or writing, they tend to spill everything out, sometimes even in random order. Summoning a five-line sentence or plugging in fancy words at every twist and turn does not make great writing. Making things complicated or look complicated does not make them better. It only gives a headache to the reader.
To make a text flow easily. To convey complex ideas in a manner that makes them easier to understand. To write up something that's pleasant to read. Now that takes work and skill. Easy reading does not mean easy writing, in fact the easier it is to read something, the greater the craftsmanship behind.
When putting ink on paper, you need to be able to grasp the essential, leave out the pollution and craft from the reader's point of view. The simplest of recipes, all too often hard to follow.
The quest for simplicity is all the more crucial if you want to get complex information across. Much like in chemistry where complex molecules are assembled out of simple atoms, complex ideas are best served by using simple building-blocks cleverly put together. From a scientific perspective, complex is many simple things intelligently assembled, whereas complicated—you or your Facebook relationship status don't wanna go there.
Whether it's writing or cooking, art or science, I admire the great minds that make things simpler to understand.
Feast your soul on these inspiring quotes:
- "If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself." – Albert Einstein
- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." – Leonardo da Vinci (attributed)
- "Simplicity is the key to brilliance." – Bruce Lee
Talking about a feast, back to what's truly essential. Sushi. You'll find below the teaser to Jiro dreams of sushi. A documentary on Jiro, an old man who is universally renowned as the world's best sushi chef. The documentary is a masterpiece in itself. See for yourself how simple can be amazing.
To end, I'd like to dedicate this blogpost in the memory of Terry Pratchett, a master in crafting magnificent stories with the simplest and truest of writing styles, who left us all too soon earlier this year.
* Technically that's a nigiri, but this article refers to sushi as the umbrella term.