Why Some Things Come Naturally… and Others Don’t

A calligrafriend recently said something that stuck with me:

You could probably do modern calligraphy if you put your mind to it.

And she’s right — I think I could!

But modern calligraphy has always felt tricky for me.

I don’t even really know where to start.

The open-ended style, the relative lack of structure or rules, makes it difficult for me to wrap my head around it.

Similarly, art forms with fewer rules — drawing, painting or gestural calligraphy — are challenging.

It’s not impossible for me to learn them, but it requires a lot more time and effort.

I need to find patterns and frameworks to make it easier for myself.

On the other hand, I took to crocheting and standard Copperplate like a duck to water.

I thrived because there’s structure: a framework, rules and guidelines to follow, repetitive stitches or shapes.

Basically there’s a right or wrong answer.

Even in flourishing, which is relatively looser, I rely on the flourish families framework to create some structure for myself.

You probably feel the same way.

Some things come naturally to you, while others feel like an uphill task.

Noticing, understanding and learning about yourself is an important part of your creative practice.

Because once you know yourself, you can either:

• Lean into your strengths, hone in on what feels easy and effortless; or

• Tackle what feels difficult — and how can you make it easier for yourself? (Like how I use flourish families to make flourishing easier for myself)

Ironically, I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer in this case. 😛

It’s your creative practice, your space and time to do what feels right to you.

And what feels right to you in this moment isn’t eternal.

You can, and probably will, change your mind.

Just like how I might try to play with modern calligraphy this year. ☺️

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

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