practice doesn't always make perfect

i'm on an adventure.  a creative adventure.  i'm trying out, working on, figuring out what i'm good at.  what makes me happy.  where my strengths are. i am making mistakes.  little ones.  but sometimes those mistakes are enough to say -  i don't want to do this anymore.

my challenge is, and always has been, to keep going.  to start on something, to realize my mistakes, hopefully to correct them, and then to just keep going.  i get stuck here a lot. it's why i have a stack of unfinished projects.

i'm constantly telling myself, that doesn't look right?  self doubt is a killer.

in the little exercise i am calling just a thought here on the blog i spend way too much time trying to find the perfect quote, the right design.  i practice over and over and usually end up saying, screw it, just call it done and post it. 

one of the posts took 14 pages of my journal to get to that point.  practicing with different colors, trying to make it look more free form, trying not to copy the print that inspired it, trying too hard.

when i'm writing i can rewrite, edit, completely delete and start over.  i forgive myself for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and misinformation.  it doesn't usually stop me.  i will keep writing. in 897 post i have made many mistakes.  there are posts i don't really like and ones that i love.  but i keep writing.

but in art i am way more critical. i feel like the mishaps are there for everyone to see.  the risks that i take are visible, whether they pay off or not.

i think eventually you evolve and master.  things start to look ok.  you find your voice, your vision, you let go of fear.  you can see the beauty of your work.  i am not making masterpieces over here, so why am i giving myself such a hard time?  my end goal is to have a little play time, something that feels like me, that brings me joy.

i will practice a little more kindness and give up on being perfect.

creative adventures | the art of calligraphy

i have long been a fan of handwriting.  it comes from my dad who would show us the exercises he used to do when he was in school.  we would fill pages and pages of lines, circles, swirls and loops.  over and over.  i loved it.

then in school i would seek out those friends who had good hand writing and copy their style. i remember in junior high changing my writing to that fat lettering that spread across the page because that's how my friend wrote. i'd find the pen she used and copy her font letter by letter.

i never took calligraphy.  the pointed pen kind of scared me and it seemed so formal and laborious. but more and more people are bringing it back, in a modern style that looks formal and easy.  it was love at first sight.

so a few weekends ago my sister and i took a class in manhattan beach with a calligrapher named laura hooper.  i've been following her blog and instagram for a while and when i saw that she was coming to LA i jumped at the chance to take her class and i love that my sister was on board with me.

we were so excited to take the class and be with other people that enjoyed handwriting as much as we did.  each student had a personalized place setting ready for them when they arrived.  ink, pen, workbook, paper, nibs, a card, pencil and that awesome tote to carry it all in.

they had a mimosa bar, muffins and crescents for us as well. we had to take it easy on the mimosas or our writing would come out crooked.

i love all the details .

then it was time to get to work.  making lines, circles, swirls and loops.  she would demonstrate the letter on the board and we would write it over and over on our paper.

they would come around and correct little mistakes, like making my capital E look just right.

the key here is practice makes perfect and that's what we need to do now.  practice and make adjustments to the basics so we come up with our own individual style.  that will be fun. i'll be ready to address envelopes if anyone wants to hire me...

after the class i made reservations to have lunch and debrief at a local restaurant.  we knew we had to go to little sister - an asian and french fusion restaurant just blocks away from the hotel.

oh man, the food here was outrageous.  we ordered a cheese plate of bucheron and apricot preserve with lavender.

followed by the chicken banh mi with shrimp chips and a side of pho.

the grilled pork spring rolls which we wrapped in lettuce and dipped in that incredible sauce were just perfect.

i had a great time learning something new, eating something delicious and hanging out with my sister.  looking forward to our next adventure.