One of my childhood treasures is the first lettering book I got when I was a kid. It’s a art form I love, but have always been inherently bad at. Hehe. I cannot draw a straight line to save my life.
About a year ago, I discovered Brush Lettering. It’s a style that applies certain elements of calligraphy in a more relaxed way. Very pretty! And perhaps a little more forgiving than traditional, perfectly neat calligraphy? I thought I’d give it a try.
I started learning what I could from tutorial videos online. I’ve spent countless hours practicing. Why? I dunno. Am I good yet? Nope.
Last Friday, by chance, I saw an ad for a Brush Lettering course in Monterrey. I wanted to go, but, I hesitated… Would I be wasting money? I love it… but, it just a silly hobby… I could use that money for something else… But, I really wanted to go…
While all these thoughts were having a loud argument in my mind, I surreptitiously picked up the phone and signed up.
I drove there the next morning still unsure of the decision. Why was I doing this?…
8 hours + 1 workshop later I figured it out…
Brush Lettering is a relaxing activity that keeps me focused. It creates a soundproof bubble of peace around me that leaves no room for anxiety. It’s something I practice without any expectations. Again and again and again. Hundreds of crooked lines, yet I continue to work without feeling discouraged.
I find joy in the process, not the outcome. This is a good reminder of how I’d like to live life in general, and I’m hoping one day I’ll bring this feeling with me when I step outside my Brush Lettering Bubble of Peace.
It was also pretty fun to hang out all day with a group of 10 people just as happy to learn Brush Lettering!
Does anyone else have a Bubble of Peace Hobby? hahahaha!
7 Comments
You have very interesting and amazing hobby.
August 26, 2016 at 11:59 amI love to create stained glass windows, it relaxes me when school gets too stressful or i start worrying too much about anything. I tried calligraphy, but I suck at it! I’ve been trying to create music covers on youtube as a hobby but i don’t have the skills/knowledge to create them. But I’m working on it. Those are my bubbles of peace and happiness :3
August 26, 2016 at 6:20 pmOooh, this sounds so awesome! Stained glass windows are beautiful! Good luck with this and with covers! 😀 Hope you have fun in these “bubbles of peace” hahaha! 😀
August 26, 2016 at 7:16 pmI love to write. It is awesome (well it is for me :D) to depict a scene, an event or someone with the proper words and try to translate the atmosphere of the moment in letters. It’s difficult sometimes but so enjoyable to search for the good words, those that will “fit” in what I want to tell that I can spend several hours doing this and ending with just a few lines on the paper. Haha.
August 29, 2016 at 3:29 pmIt is even more true with poems, where you want to make the sentences “song” in a good way. I never wrote a song but maybe it is a bit similar. I have this rythm in mind and try to write things so they will be read fluently, with a pleasant sonority…
And I love the feeling of the pen running on the paper to! The vibrations and sometimes the smell of paper. Maybe it is one of the things you like in brush lettering, it is something that keep me focus on what i am doing personally.
It seems weird sometimes to feel so good by only writing random stuff on a paper but we all need to do weird things isn’t it? Hehe.
Anyway, have a good time with Brush Lettering. Simple things are often the most pleasant to do.
YES! I agree with all you are saying! The feeling of writing pen on paper is irreplaceable. There is nothing like it, and no computer keyboard that will ever substitute it. 🙂 And what you mentioned about poetry, and making sure that lines have rhythm and finding the right words… this is also something I try to do! 😀 It’s so great to know that you enjoy writing, too!
September 2, 2016 at 3:46 pmBrush lettering is something I always liked, yet never gave it a try. I’m happy for you that you found something to make you feel better. By the way, I build ship models. Seeing a ship forming by your hand, it’s priceless feeling. But anyway have fun and I hope you are well. And say hi to Thor in my name.
September 2, 2016 at 6:45 amOh, man! Ship model building! I bet that does require tons of concentration! 😀 That’s very cool. Thanks for sharing, and I’ll definitely say hi to Thor from you!!!
September 2, 2016 at 3:39 pm