the pen is mightier than the sword

it's been 7 months since graduating from the art institute and while i miss school on a social level i certainly do not miss the deadlines and STRESS.

i know i have a tendency to complain but i really do appreciate my school much more now than i ever did while i was there but i regret not being offered certain classes. classes such as letterpress and calligraphy.

i am in LOVE with betsy dunlap's freestyle calligraphy and i love it so much that i went out to jo-ann's to buy a calligraphy pen and ink set (with a 40% off coupon, of course). i closed the door to my room and went straightaway to work; writing letter forms, dipping the nib into the ink, dripping ink all over my desk, writing again, scratching my head, googling correct ways to write calligraphy...it was glorious.

i went through about 3 sheets of tabloid sized paper and just as i was kind of getting the hang of things my nib broke. *damn it* i shot a look at the clock and it was about an hour before jo-ann closed. i grabbed my other coupon and drove all the way to irvine to pick up another pen set--yess!

i practiced writing the names of people as they popped into my thoughts and i practiced for my boss's name for her wedding card and other future potential applications.

trying to teach yourself something you have no idea about can be: 1. frustrating, because you get things wrong and feel a bit lost 2. really rewarding, because every skill or technique you discover is a milestone even if you're the only one who cares.

i've been wanting to learn calligraphy for years now but i never have until now. in my life i've found it's really difficult to muster the inner gumption to do things at times.
...even good things:
clean my room, wash my car, exercise, teach myself something i genuinely want to learn, say 'sorry' and admit fault, do the right thing.

but maybe being mature means you begin to. i mean, if someone at work behaved like a child and thought like a child, i might think 'geez, you are acting like a BABY.' maybe not the nicest thing to think but true. doesn't really matter how old you are, your behavior shows the truth.

imagine an adult eating baby food everyday in the break room and when they're asked why they respond, 'well it's what i grew up eating.' to which i might say, 'yeah dude, when you were 1, now your 30. maybe it's time to move onto solid food.'

maybe it's time for me to grow up and try something new, do something about the things i say i want to see in my life, be more mature.