Calligraphy has been a low-level interest of mine for approximately 10 years. With my sewing business maturing and my children off to school, I have a little bit more time and have begun writing letters on a nightly basis. I enjoy practicing at skills that I may enjoy into my old age. In just the past few months, I have been able to see progress and improvement in my penmanship. There are not too many people, I imagine, who practice making their letters past the 3rd grade. But I will spend an hour at it each night, trying to get every curve and line just right.
The practice of writing letters helps to slow the pace of my day. It is turning into a soothing bedtime ritual that empties my mind of clutter and my body of stress, not to mention the value in keeping up with friends. My sister travels the world looking for adventure. I find challenge and pleasure at my writing desk. There is no ultimate goal or higher purpose to my letter writing; I simply want to create a beautiful correspondence. Crisp, fine parchment, embossed letterhead, colored inks… I can’t say why this is important to me, but I doubt that creating something of beauty needs any reason beyond itself.