Calligraphy, do you?

[Frownette]

I really like Meghan Markle's calligraphy. Also enjoyed a shopping list someone posted recently, but that was probably a day to day writing she's just very good at it!

I sometimes do a medieval style calligraphy or pop art.

What calligraphy do you do? I guess it could be described as not your usual handwriting, when you're making an effort. Handwriting is so evocative, it conjures up the person in front of you.

I learned calligraphy years ago, was also taught by a very precise teacher when I was learning cursive at school so my handwriting is often commented on, unfortunately it doesn't stay neat and tidy throughout say writing a long essay by the end I can barely read it!

But I've been called upon to do various items for friends and family over the years, mainly for stationery for events like first communion, weddings etc. At one point I considered doing it as a "side hustle" but as with many of these sort of things found people expected to pay pennies for hours of work! Not to mention the lack of understanding re cost of equipment and supplies. So I didn't do that.

I enjoy doing it for loved ones though.

Funnily enough I'm not generally good at art yet I can do this.

I did some at secondary school, got the end of year prize but that was 40 years ago and I haven't touched it since. I'd love to, it's a forgotten art.

@Graphista same, my handwriting is so scruffy now compared to the past

I'll never forget at uni the star pupil asked if she could borrow my notes after a lesson, I said yes but after I've written them out? I always wrote out my notes after a lecture because it was all scribbles. It was like a cat got hold of a biro. She thought I was being rude unfortunately. My uni notes are a thing to behold though! (Finished product)

Ooh uni notes!

I developed my own shorthand that nobody else had a chance of deciphering even if they could make out the letters and characters etc - it was a weird combo of traditionally shorthand, abbreviations, nicknames for key people, algebra and mathematical symbols!

The subject? English literature and linguistics (admittedly linguistics uses a lot of mathematical style symbols for indicating pronunciations etc)

I understood it, I came across some notes about 10 years after and could still make it out but nobody else could have.

But it enabled me to take notes thoroughly and quickly and others, students and lecturers, commented on how much info I was able to record and assimilate.

I got a good 2:1 so it must have worked for me somehow (and yes I'm still miffed I narrowly missed out on a first, I blame that on a particular lecturer and I having academic disagreement - don't get me started!)

Language - written, spoken and signed (I'm also trained in bsl) absolutely fascinates me. I have several friends and family who have emigrated and/or married non brits and I LOVE getting greetings cards, postcards and the rarest thing now - letters from them as differing countries also vary not only in the language but in how they write their letters even the ones that superficially are the same as ours, though I must admit I'm particularly fascinated with the accents and punctuation used in other languages. I'm not proficient in modern languages but I can get by in 3 others written and spoken and muddle through a further 3 with a smattering of a 7th non European language (though my attempts generally provoke hilarity in native speakers, I think I must effectively sound like the British soldiers in 'allo 'allo murdering french!)