Calligraphy

I've taken up a new hobby. Sort of. Last weekend I stopped at
Michael's and purchased a set of Calligraphy things: Pens, nibs,
paper, ink, that sort of thing. Fun!

I say it's sort of a new hobby because mostly I've been using my
newfound interest to write poetry and letters. Both of these I do
already, so the hobby part comes in with how I'm doing them. Slight
modification really. I think Calligraphy is good for me because it
makes me aware of my writing techniques. Over the years my
handwriting has developed into its own thing, and it varies depending
on my mood and the words I'm using. For instance, "s" could be
written in cursive, as a printed letter, or as a printed letter drawn
from the bottom of another letter - i.e., itself being drawn from the
bottom to the top.

Calligraphy doesn't really do well from bottom to top. Now, I always
liked doing that. It made the "s" feel "free" to me - its top could
extend out to the right, curve, do whatever it wanted. But certain
things have kept me interested.

First, it's not as difficult as I'd thought to modify my handwriting
techniques to avoid catching the nib on the paper.
Second, the nibs are pressure-sensitive. This allows for the
characteristic "downstrokes" or whatever they're called - you know,
when the stroke is heavier and it tapers as the stroke angles or
curves. I love that look and I was surprised at how easy it can be
to achieve, even with smaller nibs.
Third, the scratchy sound. I don't like it when the paper catches,
but the gentle scratching of nib on paper is quite soothing and
leaves my mind blank. It's almost a bad thing because I want to feel
and hear it so much that I can't think of anything to write.
However, this is where I end up copying stuff, thus practicing my
newer techniques.
Fourth, there's that "elegant, old-fashioned" sense that I get when
I'm writing letters. My next endeavour is to find wax seals to
complete the effect. There's a part of my adult life where I still
feel like a child... pretending, on some level, that I'm in another
time. A time when letters took weeks or months to reach their
recipients. A time when quill and ink were the only option, and
paper was treasured rather than formed into junk mail which is then
shredded and thrown out. It lends an air of respect for the written
word, one that demands thought before movement.

Finally, it's giving me more cause to write.

Even in this technological age where typing is sometimes faster than
thought, there are still reasons why pen and ink has not died.

~nv