“5 calligraphy mistakes beginners make and how to fix them”

The beginning journey of starting calligraphy is one that can seem difficult. I also remember the beginning of my Journey with calligraphy. I for one had no idea in which direction I wanted to go with calligraphy. I thought I was going to specialize in one specific medium. But I realized that I needed to first learn the mistakes on how to fix them.

The Tools – Starting out its so easy to be in awe of seeing the tools. Especially seeing videos of people creating amazing pieces it can be inspiring. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need the best tools. But I would say buy what you can afford and tools that you’ll enjoy using.
Comparison trap- You are going to be putting out bad work for a good bit. The work you see other people putting out that is better than yours is from them putting the work in. If you are able to get through the rough patch of putting out bad work you can continue to improve little by little.
The three week wall – If you are able to stick with it for 3 weeks you’ll be able to keep going
Post Rough work- This is hard to get over doing. Because the vulnerability of showing work that is not of top quality can be scary. But it shows you are human and its good documentation.
Warming up – You may not think warming up is crucial, but it is. Definitely helps with process of creating work you are happy to produce.

“How I started taking calligraphy commissions and what I wish I knew earlier”

The way that I started taking calligraphy commissions was pretty much on accident. I remember the first inquiry I got for a commission was a surprise. I did not know the proper way to price or anything. I just gave them a flat price on the completed project. Being ready to dive in head first with a project and have no idea what you are doing. But the most important thing to remember is ”I’m going to figure this out while doing it”. Also reply to DM’s and emails (legit).

I had to began with commissions from the perspective of that I would be able to complete a beautiful finished project. Cause when completing a project it can be a point where You feel like you are not capable. But with taking commissions I learned to take the client through the process.

Cause its not something you are taught to do. Learning how valuable it is to have that input and what they are leaning towards. From my process and etc I like to have them come along with me. I will say you have to adjust the process for each client.

I wish I knew earlier the way to stay strong in my work. By that I mean not falling victim to my own doubts about my process and work. Cause every designer/artist will deal with this. I for one learned to push through it and keep going.

Then another thing is taking time off. Taking time to just relax,vacation and do nothing is not commonly discussed. The perception is as if creativity is limited and not everlasting. But there is creativity all around us. Remember to take time off to recharge is more in line with what I am about nowadays.

30 days of content (what I learned about building a creative audience)

I’m currently on a 60 day Journey of posting content. The plan definitely has been one that I feel has been getting me out of my comfort zone. I am glad that I changed my wallpaper on my phone with a quote that says follow your plan not your mood. Cause our mood can definitely get us off of our plan.

The other day I caught myself just wanting to not care about posting new content/designs anymore. But I’m going to stay committed to the Journey. Plus being able to get to the point mentally where I know this is asking me to give more of myself its worth it. Cause better to have more control of my future then just wish about it.

The thing I’ve learned about building a creative audience so far has taught me that having a community that is built on a solid foundation is important. Being authentic with them and not putting on a character to be more appealing. Cause there’s eventually a point where people will see through that.

Then next is believing in yourself and your work. Cause the work can be the best to you and if you present it many different ways. There is truly an audience for many different types of people. It’s all about presentation.

Then I’d say most important is to have fun with it. Because if you are creating anything and not having fun with it then it’s going to be difficult to continue. Cause you’ll get bored and then move on to something else. This is a great thing to remember with whatever you chose to do.

“What Nipsey Hussle taught me about building a creative brand

Listening to Nipsey he taught me so much about building a creative brand. One of the many things he taught me how important it was to have your own site. Especially when it comes to promoting yourself. There are too many people who say check me out on __insert social media site__.

I immediately stopped telling people to check me out on whatever social media site. Cause when it comes down to it you don’t have as much control over your social media profile like you would your own site. I adapted that way of thinking and feel it has helped me out a lot. Especially when it comes to marketing myself.

The other thing Nipsey taught me about building a creative brand was to have a set of beliefs on your brand that stand by them. Because just like Nipsey calls his brand The Marathon and he stands on the journey being a Marathon. Then that spreads out to being more than just a phrase.

Then also Nipsey taught me the right way to think about building a creative brand. If you are building it and you do not believe in it, that’s going to make it more difficult to continue to pursue it. Then if you flip that way of thinking and believe in it and don’t stop you will gain a following and get further along to where you trying to take it to. Because when someone starts something and the going gets tough they quit.

The last thing I will say that Nipsey taught me was about not being afraid to use your own money to invest in yourself. Many of us what to take the route that has been traveled. But sometimes it’s best for us to try a different route and make our own path. Then doing that we will be a lot more satisfied with how our life has been lived.

“What to expect when you commission calligraphy from me”

When you commission me for a project I start with sketches and then it goes from there. Because without sketching you will not be able to flush out the ideas. Then I’ll be able to come up with a better direction of where we can go with the project.

Coming up with a Vinyl cover design, Record label logo and a Tour poster design. The overall approach for these came from sketching and a lot of trial and error. The overall vision was being able to maintain legibility, and taking a step back to see how it’d look in real life use.

The artists that inspired this project are Madlib, Larry June and Westside Gunn. Each of them have their own style and the creativity they show us. Because I am inspired by that and for sure align with the vision each of them have. I did my best to embody their spirit of creativity with the overall project.

What I learned from the project is not feeling the need to overdo it. As well as keeping the vision in line with how I felt the design would look finalized. Because its so easy to keep going and going. I liked how the completed pieces look and feel cohesive. As well they solve the problem as they are intended to do so.

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“The 5 tools I’d recommend to any calligraphy beginner”

Starting out calligraphy there will be an overwhelming amount of products you are going to be seeing. Because to be honest there are a lot of them out there that are not good. But that is subjective and you have to try many different ones out that work for you.

The easiest to start with is brush pens. The vast amount of brush pens that are available I’d say buy many different brands, types and colors. The default that people automatically go for is Tombow dualtips. As Tombow dual tips are good markers. I came to the point that its not good to just get caught up in using them. Especially since I stated trying to use different brush pens rather than the most common ones. The brush pens I like to use are from Kuretake/zig mostly. To me the quality of the ink and build of the marker works great. But as a beginner the Bic Intensity dual tip brush pen is a great beginner brush pen and its easy to find. Also the one pictured the Tombow fudenosuke is a great beginner brush pen as well and its easy to find and not super expensive.

The type of pencil that I use is a lead holder. A lead holder is a mechanical pencil used for drafting, illustrating and etc. I feel lead holders have a greater strength of lead and also the sharpness of the pencil lasts longer. Plus the sharpener is another addition that works well with it. The one here has 2 slots for cleaning off the shavings. The other spot between the two holes is a piece to clean off the lead after shaving it.

The eraser I use is a Pentel Hi-Polymer Block Eraser. Cause using the standard gum eraser to me is harsh on the paper when I am erasing. Also I love that it doesn’t leave any stain on the paper either when erasing. This is what I have found that works for me.

Mastering Graphic Design: A Journey of Creativity

My name is Josten dooley and I am a Graphic designer and self taught Calligrapher. My introduction to Graphic Designer I had no idea it was called Graphic Design. There was one day I was at the skatepark skateboarding with my friends and one of the guys said he was in school for graphic design. Then the rest is history with my venture into graphic design.

I enjoy the process of solving a design problem. For example I love the creation of creating branding. The creation of a logo that will be easily recognizable and take on a life of its own. The layout of typography on a page is another task I like as well. I remember my first internship was working at a publishing company and page layouts was a daily task. To me it is like a game of tetris.

My venture into calligraphy was an interesting one. Because I reminded myself of how it was a strong focus on typography and hand skills when I was in design school. One day at Ross I came across a calligraphy kit. I said to myself let me post daily and see what happens.

I eventually came into finding a community within calligraphy. Then after learning the vast amount of calligraphy work that is available I came into finding myself more passionate about it. Also how I can integrate it into my design work and expand upon it.

How I balance my day job and freelance life

Finding balance in my day job and freelance life was difficult at first. I learned one of the best ways was to figure out how to automate systems. Then believing in the process. There are days when some content does good. Then there are days when it’s crickets with my content creation and client work.
One of the most important things I do is maintain a healthy mental state. Because of the many things in our lives that can impact us either negatively or positively. So now let’s get into how I balance my day Job and freelance life.

The first way I start off by balancing working a full time job and being a freelance graphic designer is by figuring out the way, I can start by making it into a system. The system that will allow me to create on a consistent basis and not be burnt out. The creation of content can be another thing that most will just say F it and I’m not with it. Looking for the Joy in all of it is what I tend to focus on. Before I did not grasp this concept fully. But back to what I am saying about how I am able to balance it all.

Then the creation of new work, content is a good marketing and lets people see who you are. The way to let people fully grasp whom I am as a person/designer lets them into my world. Then using the skills from my day job into my freelance work. I always like to look towards the way of how I am progressing with the skills I have learned.

Now I set out a day that I am off where I am able to set up everything for the coming days. Having daily plans laid out helps a lot. Because I have learned having something to strive for helps with the balance instead of flying blind.

Keeping your mental state healthy working a day job and striving towards being a full-time freelancer/content creator can be hard. Because it can feel like you are running in place. But meditating, writing in a Journal helps a lot. These are things that work for me and reading books that inspire you and help move you further along helps out a lot. Daily reading, Journal writing and meditating, scheduling and planning make the whole balance of balancing a day Job to help me get further towards my Goal of being able to work Full time Freelance/ Content creator.

Thank you

to those of you who are still here even though I do not post as frequently, I appreciate you. The years of posting and having a blog can definitely get pushed to the side. But I know a lot has happened over these past years in all aspects of our lives. I want to honestly and truthfully say thank you.

How to Make Your Handwriting Look More Aesthetic | Easy Lettering Tips for Beginners

ant to make your handwriting look more aesthetic and clean? In this video, I’ll show you simple and easy tips to instantly improve how your handwriting looks—even if you’re a beginner! Whether you’re journaling, taking notes, or just want your writing to stand out, these tricks will help you develop neater and more stylish handwriting with minimal effort. 🖊 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How to slow down and gain control Basic spacing and letter consistency Adding flair to your handwriting