A Letter to a Calligraphy Beginner

Here’s a letter of sorts to circa 2020 me — that’s when I started learning calligraphy.

You’ll find a reason to fall in love with calligraphy.

You’ll get obsessed, spending every single waking moment itching to write.

You’ll drift off to sleep while writing imaginary strokes with your fingers.

You’ll impress yourself with the progress you’re making.

You’ll spend hours researching and learning about the right nibs and inks.

You’ll buy an expensive pen holder, then regret it soon enough.

You’ll impress friends and family with your newfound craft.

You’ll feel your creative neurons connecting in ways that you haven’t experienced in years.

You’ll enjoy making gifts and cards for friends and family.

But the honeymoon phase will end.

Your progress will plateau.

You’ll be frustrated with how slow you’re improving, compared to others.

You’ll learn new things about yourself — some embarrassing, some shameful, some enlightening.

You’ll get bored and tired of practising the same things over and over again.

You'll cycle between periods of practising diligently and not practising at all.

You’ll … dare I say … fall out of love with calligraphy.

You’ll find new hobbies that seem more fun and engaging.

You’ll take long breaks from calligraphy. Your tools will be coated with dust.

You’ll make an effort to reinvigorate your interest in calligraphy, trying to remember how it felt as a beginner.

You’ll fail terribly. It’s pretty difficult to be an enthusiastic beginner again.

But after some time, you’ll find your way back.

It’ll be like meeting an old friend again — equal parts familiar and awkward.

You’ll find comfort in the familiarity, and try to laugh over the awkward moments.

You’ll learn even more new things about yourself — why you left, why you returned, and other uncomfortable questions.

You’ll look at calligraphy with a different lens. Not new, just different.

You’ll use calligraphy to learn about yourself, instead of learning about calligraphy.

And eventually.

You’ll find another reason to fall in love with calligraphy, all over again.

I hope you too will keep finding reasons to fall in love with calligraphy. ♥️

This was first published in my email newsletter, 💌 Curious Letters, where I share tips and stories about calligraphy.

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