I’m rolling with "e"
(Left) is the letter “e” practice sheet / credit to Becca @ The Happily Ever Crafter (R) My practice sheet with the letter “e”.
I thought the letter "e" would be easier, in fact it rolled right over me. That is the beauty and challenge with calligraphy. It will humble you if you overestimate your ability. It will humble you get too confident or if you did like me, "Oh, this letter "e" looks pretty easy. I got this." Clearly, by the practice sheet no, I don't.
Instead of getting angry or frustrated, I laughed at myself and the deformed "e's" that I made. I thought to myself, "Not yet." I realized that the most encouraging words that I can say during practice is "not yet." Why? I may not have mastered that stroke back then or this letter today or that word tomorrow, but I'm still learning. "Not yet" leaves room for tomorrow's progress. I do two practice sessions a day for 30 minutes. I know that I will get the "e" right. I'm not an expert. I'm a beginner but the most important lesson I've learned is calligraphy is about practice, patience, and perseverance.
Practice: You have to stay consistent. Every day for at least 15 minutes. It builds muscle memory, gets you familiar with the strokes, and better dexterity with your pen. There is no substitute for practice.
Patience: Be kind to yourself, especially in the beginning. For most of us, we've never picked up a calligraphy pen. Getting the upstrokes and downstrokes right because they create the foundation of every stroke we practice. For example, the Compound Curve begins with an upstroke, then curves into a downstroke, then curves back into the upstroke.
Perseverance: Your pen does not remember yesterday's mistakes. Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the strokes that don't go as planned. A mistake can show you where to adjust your grip, your pressure, or your patience. Every time we pick up or pen, it's a new opportunity for us to try again.
Every shaky letter holds potential. Inside every imperfect stroke is the beginning of a skill that hasn't fully developed yet. Practice is not about creating a perfect page every time. It is about building a relationship with our pen, understanding our movement, and discovering what our hands are capable of. We must always give ourselves room to learn.