As creative professionals, it’s important to flex our creative muscles to keep them strong. For a high-intensity creativity workout, variety is better than volume. Pushing yourself to crank out another two design concepts, draw up five more logo ideas, or explore another angle on a client’s strategic positioning can build endurance, but it might not have the energizing impact you really need. Instead, consider doing something out of the ordinary, “flipping the script,” trying a new task that challenges and surprises you—and is also just plain fun.
In October, LMG took our own advice and hosted a calligraphy workshop for our team. Lindsey Buck, owner of the The Hive Studio, provided each attendee with a complete starter kit, including a calligraphy pen, a “nib” (the pointed tip that disperses the ink), a calligraphy notepad, and a few worksheets.
We spent two hours chatting, snacking on chips and salsa (and apple cider mimosas!), and clumsily tracing the letters on our worksheets, slowly gaining confidence with each stroke. Lindsey taught us how to mix our own ink, the proper grip for holding the pen, and ways to incorporate our own handwriting style into the art of calligraphy.
As the session came to an end, all of us shared our work. We wrote our names, our kids’ and/or pets’ names, “Happy Halloween,” and “Hello fall.” Every one of us also shared how much we loved the workshop, and most of us agreed that this was something we may never have tried on our own.
Since the workshop, we’ve started to find opportunities to incorporate this new skill into our everyday work. For example, our designer Laura experimented with a handwritten/calligraphic style for a logo design. Maybe next year LMG’s holiday cards will feature a greeting in calligraphy. Even for those of us who haven’t directly applied what we learned, the experience paid off in enthusiasm and inspiration. And you never know when calligraphy might come in handy. The possibilities are endless when you continuously learn new skills to keep things fresh.
