Custom Motivation Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

We have many options to create artwork with Motivation characters on a wall scroll or portrait.
If you want to create an Motivation wall scroll, this is the place. Below you will find a few Asian symbols that express the idea of Motivation.


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  1. Motivation

  2. Enthusiasm

  3. Gung Ho

  4. Passion for a Cause

  5. Enthusiasm / Passion for a Cause

  6. Strong-Willed / Strong of Heart


 dòng lì
 douryoku
Motivation Scroll

動力 can be used for motivation - it can also mean power/motion/propulsion/force. It can be anything internal or external that keeps you going.

動力 is the safest way to express motivation in Chinese. If your audience is Japanese, please see the other entry for motivation. 動力 is a word in Japanese and Korean, but it means “motive power” or “kinetic energy” (without the motivation meaning that you are probably looking for).


See Also:  Enthusiasm | Passion

 dòng jī
 dou ki
Motivation Scroll

動機 is a common word for motivation in Japanese and Korean.

In Chinese, it can have some bad connotations - so it's safer if your target audience is Japanese or Korean.

 yaruki
Motivation Scroll

やる気 means motivation in Japanese.

It also can be translated as willingness (e.g., to do something), eagerness, inspiration, determination, totally willing, fully motivated, and high aspirations.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  Enthusiasm | Passion

 rè qíng
Enthusiasm Scroll

熱情 is a Chinese and Korean word for enthusiasm that can also be translated as passion (for a cause), ardency, ardor/ardour, enthusiasm, or zeal.

Enthusiasm is being warm, cheerful, happy, and full of spirit. It is doing something wholeheartedly and eagerly. When you are enthusiastic, you have a positive attitude.

In some contexts, this could mean being extremely fond of something or having a fondness for a cause or person.


This Chinese word can also be translated as "sincere and warm" or literally "warm sentiment / affection."


See Also:  Passion | Commitment | Tenacity

Gung Ho

Working Together

 gōng hé
 guai
Gung Ho Scroll

工合 is one of those Asian words that is used more in English than in the original Chinese.

Gung Ho was originally used to speak of Carlson's Raiders, a group of “Gung Ho” U.S. Marines who went on an island-hopping campaign of death during WWII.

A movie called Gung Ho came out in the mid-1940s and was later re-released in the 1950s depicting the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, and brought this word to the mainstream.

It is still sometimes used today within the U.S. Marine Corps brotherhood to refer to a unit or group that works well together or is otherwise efficient and motivated (has good morals).

In 1986, there was a movie called Gung Ho about a Japanese company taking over an American automotive factory. They completely ignored the fact that this was a Chinese title.

It should be noted that this title actually means a condition, state, manner, or the health of something in Japanese.

Language and pronunciation notes:
Like many Asian words absorbed into common use in English, this one is drastically mispronounced. The official Romanization is “gong he” but that doesn't tell you enough. The vowel sound on the first character is like the English word “own,” now just add the g-sounds to the beginning and end. The second character is misleading, as you might think it is like the English word “he.” In reality, the vowel sound is more like the “u” in “up.”

It should also be noted that the current generation in China no longer uses or recognizes this as a common word or slogan.


Note: This can be pronounced and is a word in Japanese, though seldom used. Japanese will use a variation of "具合" instead. But still, not common.

Passion for a Cause

 rè qíng
 netsujou
Passion for a Cause Scroll

Depending on the context, 熱情 can mean “cordial,” “enthusiastic,” “passionate,” or “passionately.”

This version is sometimes used in Japanese, but the character order is more common in Chinese and Korean Hanja. The meaning in Japanese for this Kanji order is ardor/ardour or zeal but rarely used in modern Japan. I suggest you choose a different version of “passion” if your audience is Japanese.


See Also:  Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment

Enthusiasm / Passion for a Cause

 qíng rè
 jou netsu
Enthusiasm / Passion for a Cause Scroll

情熱 is the Japanese word that means enthusiasm or “passion for a cause.”

In some contexts, this could mean being extremely fond of something or having a fondness for a cause or person.

Can also be translated as passion, zeal, ardor/ardour, or fervor.

Note: This word (or character order) is not natural in Chinese. However, a typical Chinese person can guess this is a Japanese or Korean word and understand the intended meaning. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese or old-school Korean.


See Also:  Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment

Strong-Willed / Strong of Heart

 ki no tsuyo i
Strong-Willed / Strong of Heart  Scroll

気の強い means strong-willed or strong of heart in Japanese.

Here's the character breakdown of this Japanese title:
気 (ki) spirit; mind; heart; nature; motivation; intention; feelings; essence.
の (no) possessive particle.
強い (tsuyoi) strong; powerful; mighty; potent; resistant; resilient; durable.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Motivation動力
动力
douryoku / doryokudòng lì / dong4 li4 / dong li / donglitung li / tungli
Motivation動機
动机
dou ki / douki / do kidòng jī / dong4 ji1 / dong ji / dongjitung chi / tungchi
Motivationやる気yaruki
Enthusiasm熱情
热情
rè qíng / re4 qing2 / re qing / reqingje ch`ing / jeching / je ching
Gung Ho工合guaigōng hé / gong1 he2 / gong he / gonghekung ho / kungho
Passion for a Cause熱情
热情
netsujou / netsujorè qíng / re4 qing2 / re qing / reqingje ch`ing / jeching / je ching
Enthusiasm
Passion for a Cause
情熱
情热
jou netsu / jounetsu / jo netsuqíng rè / qing2 re4 / qing re / qingrech`ing je / chingje / ching je
Strong-Willed
Strong of Heart
氣の強い
気の強い
ki no tsuyo i
kinotsuyoi
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.

When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.

Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.

There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form of art alive.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.