A year ago I took a calligraphy class on Skillshare just for fun. The results amazed me. I thought that my writing was increadibly cool. Look at that – what a wonderful tiny swirl! What a graceful swash!

The class was quite relaxed, more like a general introduction to calligraphy. I thought that I was doing really great and should keep on going. The ignorance about my real level of skill saved my passion. I continued practicing calligraphy from time to time. The results improved slowly, but it did not bother me. I enjoyed the process. After 8 months of tranquil play I decided to take my practice to a new level. I bought a book “Mastering Copperplate* Calligraphy: A Step-by-Step Manual” by Eleanor Winters. At that point the sweat and tears began. Two more months later I saw the results of a step-by-step approach. My letters improved and lines became more controlled. But at the same time I realized how far away my writing was from the real copperplate calligraphy. It was a quite disappointing revelation.

The main problem was that I expected quick results, although mastering calligraphy requires time. This idea of long-term practice is not a discovery for me though. I went to a music school when I was a kid and I know that learning to play piano takes time and efforts. It's impossible to start playing in one day. The regular practice is required to see results and a true music comes after long hours of practicing scales. It's the same for calligraphy and many other similar activities. For some reason the comparison with music calmed my mind. My current level became just a step towards a true “music” in calligraphy.