Off the Grid

Top: c/o Aeropostale (on sale!); Jeans; Gap (similar); Shoes: c/o Aeropostale (sold out, find them here also)

I spent this evening copy-catting other calligraphers on Instagram, hunting for some new styles to try out. I changed out my nibs, poured fresh ink, and went through countless sheets just adding flourishes to my capital letters and experimenting with the lines over "t"s. I was struck by how happy I felt. Even when ink spilled all over my hands and stained them a blotchy black, it felt nice. Like this hobby is literally seeping into my skin. I'm sure that's not a healthy seep, but nevertheless, the ink blotches are temporary tattoos marking the thing that I find myself loving most lately.

Learning calligraphy, like learning any other hobby, feels really clunky at times. Like I'll never be as fluid as some of the greats out there, never as precise, or as controlled, never as inventive. And I probably never really will be, but like any hobby, even the tiniest gains fill my heart. To learn something new, to attempt to excel at it, to share it with others, is to experience some serious joy.

I know that, for myself, my day job is never enough. And I doubt any real day job I have ever will be enough. It doesn't give me that feeling that working creatively with my hands does. When I hold a camera, take someone's portrait, style a shoot, do a craft, write, create lettering, it feels like my whole body is being renewed. I know that Ben feels the same way when he works with wood, or brews, or does a home repair - he feels the life flowing back into him, back into the place sucked dry by the daily grind. I think it's critical for everyone to have something that they find absolute joy in doing. For some of my friends, it's running and planning for marathons. For others, it's baking. For many, hiking. It is never enough to just come home from work every day, sit on the couch, and watch Netflix (though we keep it on while we do our hobbies, and some days we really just need Netflix time). It's critical to find your joy!

In order to stop spamming Instagram with my calligraphy practice, I started an Instagram for my calligraphy shop! You can follow it here.