In Chinese painting the brush is 'charged' with the energy of, from, by that particular artist. A kind of emanation perhaps. Also, the artist is in total harmony with - and in total control of - their brush; their hand is completely 'at one' with the brush. When you have to connect your mind with your animal as the Na'vi did in the movie Avatar, or like the Skybax riders do in Dinotopia. The best brushes, after all, are animals too.
I sometimes visualise this like lightning flashing from fingertips, cartoon god-style, as if the ink itself is energised in turn and dazzles and sparkles on the page as it dries and sets, now charged, almost talisman-like, by the artist-magician.
It seems to be a question of style too, and individuality and your 'personal touch' or signature.
In miniature painting I wonder if we can say the same thing...?
I think so! Of course, they had deadlines too and in some instances it was just work, as in 'all in a day's work'... with lots of pressure. I don't think miniature painters necessarily had easy lives, if you compare them to European and Chinese painters of a similar time period. Some Chinese gentlemen-scholar-painters (the literati) would bathe before painting. I love the idea of taking a long bath before painting to calm the mind and settle one's thoughts!
What a beautiful description, and so inspiring. In Earth class #4, Feb 2, you mentioned how artists would not burnish on the same day they painted. This has a similar sensibility. And if one spent the day scrubbing floors, could one do delicate painting at night? In modern parlance, you need to ice, massage, stretch and make use of compression splints, etc. And let's not forget mindfulness. But believing yourself to be a kind of magician could be another form of preparation and self-care.