Lettering : Setting Goals With Intention

Omg. So many goals.

I was in the kitchen when a notification flashed across my screen that Kobe Bryant had died in a plane crash. A couple hours later, I learned that he and his daughter had both perished in that crash. A couple hours after that, I was listening to a Youtuber talk about a virus that had broken out in Wuhan, China and was making its way around the globe. Throughout the year, if it wasn’t a conspiracy, it was a crazy, and often true, headline circulating. Remember the ones about the plagues of locusts and murder hornets? Yeah, that was 2020.

Literally, every day in 2021 is ripe for a “This time last year…”

I don’t think anyone could’ve dreamed we’d end up at the destination we did globally, let alone nationally. The start of this one is turning out to have its own issues in the U.S.

Even though it could be argued that my 2020 planner/bullet journal may have been ill-spent money after all, it’s probably still a good idea to start the year with some goals in mind…right?
In my personal life, I am resolving to be more thankful for what I have and to re-establish a time of consecration where I can get re-aligned on a daily basis. Last year did have some high points, for sure. But, for me and my little family, it was also wrought with quite a few heartaches too. My goal for that is to take life as it comes and deal with it.
Through all of it, pursuing lettering has, at times, given my mind a much needed brain break. But I’ve been wondering, what kind of goals I could set for my lettering this year. Yes, I’m that extra.
I’ve never been one that likes to spin my wheels. I’m almost always doing some thing. Goals have always been my way of making sure all my busy-ness is going somewhere. Of all the goals I ever set for myself, I like to focus on 3 achievable and moderately challenging goals at a time. It’s manageable. 🤷🏾‍♀️
So, here goes…

My Top 3 Goals for 2021 (in no particular order…)

• To FINALLY learn gothic/blackletter calligraphy

  All the lettering artists I admire most usually start off with some form of calligraphy and it’s usually a broad nib…Plus, I just love the look of it! From what I’ve seen, I think broad nib techniques and styles may be used by more men than women in lettering…So, I would love to see more women using them. But, I have just always felt it was difficult to grasp. Like…where exactly do you place the nib for that stroke in the letter? How do I know I’ve got the right angle? How do you keep it from looking rigid? SO many questions. So, I’m giving it a year and we’ll see. Check out my wobbly starts in #mysparrow.

• To create more ornate lettering pieces

  Confession time: I love all the lettering. ALL OF IT. But, my favorite form of lettering to look at tends to be heavily ornate/ornamental. I love filigree patterns, flourishes, borders, florals, the acanthus leaf designs…Gimme all of that! The problem is, as an artist, I have historically tended to simplify things down in my art making. So, I have no training in the kind of fine drawing I see in lettering that uses it. Even flourishing a space is a HUGE challenge for me!
  I’ve also learned that it’s difficult to find classes that teach how to get started. In fact, the only class I’ve seen so far is on Domestika. But it’s a start. In the meantime, I follow letterers on Instagram who specialize in it so that maybe I can pick up a few tips here and there. Many of them are illustrators…But some of my favorites tend to be tattoo artists! I’ll share my list in a later post. Hopefully, by the end of next year, I will have learned how to tap into the process of ornamental lettering in a way that works for me. It’s just SO beautiful! 🥰

• To become even more active in the communities I frequent

  I’m a hard-core introvert. But, I found from being forced to be home so much this year that online communities are almost the perfect way for an introvert to socialize! 💡Of course, participating fully is a toughie because I work full time and there are seasons where I’m definitely out of it. But, I so enjoyed the communities I started participating in after the first quarantine last year! The Craymunity is super pun…I mean, fun (it’s a Craymunity thing 😂)…and I have so much yet to learn from the Typism community. It’s on my bucket list to do a Typism Book Selfie some day (and it’s a RARE day this introvert takes a selfie, na mean?)…I also enjoy visiting the Calligraphers of Color, Threeologie , Becca Courtice’s and Liz Koehler Brown’s Facebook Communities , etc. I’m not as active on them (again, the introversion is strong with this one), but I creep in here and there and find things I like. I occasionally leave a comment…and if you’re like me and leave one in one of the larger groups to follow each other, just be prepared for an avalanche. I’m just saying! They all just made being stuck home a little less isolating and I appreciate the extroverts that put themselves out there to form those communities. Goodness knows, the quarantine needed y’all!
  

  So those are my top 3 goals this year for my lettering. Drop me a quick note and let me know yours!