Creative Calligraphy

As a lover of words, it is only natural to be a lover of lovely writing too. With that in mind, my dear friend Miss W and I decided to give a calligraphy class a go.

We attended one run by Feather and Flourish – a creator of stationery for special occasions. The class was in Birmingham city centre at the rather cool Lost and Found. You arrive to a beautifully laid-out table with lovely place settings. There is a lovely pack of goodies, with everything that you need to have a go at calligraphy: ink, nib, pen, paper and a handy set of help sheets.

After a brief introduction of handy hints, you are able to get stuck right in and have a go. This does take the fear out of the situation, as everyone is so absorbed that you know nobody is going to notice if you actually have any talent for the creative…

You start by practising the common strokes and getting the lines you want, either thick or thin. Letters are a little more of a challenge but there is something very therapeutic about the flow of calligraphy. Capital letters are really fun topractice and it is great to develop your individual style; lower case is a little harder,as some do not seem to be the letter, but do make a lot of sense once you attempt words. It is great fun to develop your own individual style and Heather is always on hand to offer helpful hints – but it is nice to not feel pressured as you practice.

The giggles for myself and Miss W certainly came with the practice of words. The confidence you have built on the individual letters does need a little rebuilding as you try to form words. The key seems to be to remember to flourish (and not miss out letters…oops).

We both really enjoyed the workshop and feel that we have learnt a new skill we can not wait to practice. It is also fantastic that the little batch of goodies is yours to keep and continue your adventures in letters and words.

Fancy learning a new skill? Check out Feather and Flourish for all the information on upcoming workshops.