About three years ago I started getting interested in calligraphy. It was born out of my desire to improve my teaching board work so that students could read my writing more clearly…and because of the repeated mention of lettering from the sketchnote army podcast. My initial explorations were very rough and disparate with no clear practice or routines. Unsurprisingly, I made little or no progress. But a year and half ago I finial went along to a calligraphy lesson. This was very different.

  • It was planned
  • The activities were repetitive
  • There was a style to emulate

At that time I was struggling with what St. John of the cross called “the dark night of the soul”. My mind was a mess of thoughts, considerations and darkness. Things felt bleak and thinking didn’t help.

Calligraphy got me into a state of flow that helped clear my mind. It didn’t have an immediate effect and I need some good conversations, a resetting of good routines and some time to process thoughts slowly but I emerged the other side.

This Wednesday I went to a calligraphy class again. It wasn’t to escape the pit, but to elevate up to flow again. I chose a different style (copperplate) using equipment and techniques I was unfamiliar with to increase the challenge.

I hope to continue these classes as this mindfulness practice does my soul a world of good…and it’s just cool to write well.