Get ready to flourish! In this episode, we chat with Schin Loong, calligrapher and artist at Open Ink Stand about all things flourishing. Schin is known for her Madarasz-inspired writing and flourishing and is the author of Calligraphic Drawing. In this episode, we talk about the freedom flourishing gives and how to approach this calligraphic discipline in a digestible way – one stroke at a time!

Follow Schin at @openinkstand on Instagram or check out her website, https://www.openinkstand.com.

It's summertime, which means folks are making time for calligaphy. Maybe you're headed to a calligraphy class or conference or are on a vacation and are bringing your pens along for some "me" time with pen and ink. You could also be enjoying a quiet weekend at home and are putting time aside for calligraphy. Whether you're on a plane, in a car, on a walk, or at your desk, we hope you'll have an open mind today as we talk about how to stay teachable and get the most from classes.

The smell of sandalwood fills the air. A gentle scraping sound is heard from the other room. Everything turns black. No, the world isn't ending. We're just over here grinding our own sumi ink!

In this immersive episode, we talk about the various forms of sumi ink and walk you through an audio demonstration as Christen grinds her own sumi ink on an inkstone. While she grinds enough ink for a small painting or calligraphy piece, Christen and Ajab have a little "ink chat" and share about some of their favorite inks, their first inks and the other joys of writing.

Supplies: 

Moon Palace Sumi Ink: https://www.paperinkarts.com/moonpa.html 

Black ink stone: https://www.johnnealbooks.com/product/shakyo-ken-ink-stone  

Black ink stick: https://www.johnnealbooks.com/product/akanegimo-ink-stick-30210 

Color ink sticks: https://www.johnnealbooks.com/product/japanese-color-ink-sticks 

Porcelain ink stone: https://www.johnnealbooks.com/product/suzuri-ink-stone 

Sources: 

https://www.britannica.com/art/suiboku-ga#:~:text=suiboku%2Dga%2C%20also%20called%20Sumi,in%20the%20mid%2D14th%20century.  

https://www.sumi-e.it/en/what-is-sumi-e/ 

https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/1903231709/#:~:text=The%20earliest%20human%2Dmade%20inksticks,Qin%20administrator%20in%20Hubei%20Province. 

For us (Ajab and Christen), calligraphy started out as a hobby. We know from experience, once calligraphy enters your life, it's hard to shake it! While both of us now work as professional calligraphers, we know how important it is to maintain that spirit of curosity, practice and joy in writing. In this episode, we talk about how calligraphy might play a role for hobbyists and professionals alike. We hope it inspires you to find new ways to practice and play with your script.

Follow us on Instagram at @thecalligraphypodcast

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Get ready for an all new season of The Calligraphy Podcast. Starting May 15, we will release one episode per month.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and follow us on Instagram @thecalligraphypodcast.

From the large tips on the Tombow dual pens to small point of a Pentel Brush Sign Pen, we're talking all things brush calligraphy.

Detailed show notes to come.

You can follow Chantelle on Instagram at @bespokestrokes or visit her website, bespokestrokes.com.

Ever wonder what it's like to go to a calligraphy conference? In this episode we share clips from the 2019 IAMPETH conference and tell you all about what you can expect from a week with fellow pen and ink lovers.

In this episode, we talk about:

• how to learn a new script
• why keeping a Beginner's Mindset is the key to learning
• tips for beginners
• challenges faced by advanced calligraphers

Recommended in this episode: Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield

Nina is a calligraphy teacher and artist renowned for her Live sessions on Instagram and her incredible attention to detail.

In this heartfelt chat, we talk about:

• The journey of a calligrapher- from apprentice to master
• Why basics matter
• What it means to 'Pay it Forward'
• The relationship between a Mentor and Mentee
• Nina's favorite tools

Follow Nina on Instagram here.

One of the biggest streams of income for calligraphers is wedding envelope jobs.

In this episode we talk about:

• how to set up a job,
• what to charge (yes! We talk real numbers!),
• tools of the trade
• and more!

Your homework—time yourself! How long does it take you to write an envelope in calligraphy? Tell us your time for a traditional envelope or a modern style envelope.