Calligraphy Part I

Calligraphy could be seen as an art form or a discipline. As a discipline it was intrinsically connected to the Chinese, and Japanese martial arts.

How can one see the connection? Both martial arts and calligraphy is a form of art in its own right. Seeing someone do this type of writing, is inspiring. There is the initial preparation of getting the paper ready, setting out the ink and the calligraphy pens. The process could be slow, especially if accuracy is of great importance. There should be consistency in each of the letters you form.
Calligraphy is, therefore, not for the impatient person. Alternatively, though, perhaps one could learn patience from this type of writing.

The comparison of the art form with that of martial arts, is the fact that precision is required: "your hand should do what you command it." What is also vital is the fact that you need to make the writing as clear, as possible, and as beautiful as possible (McCormick).

Aside from the martial art connection, calligraphy has been the way in which the people in previous centuries communicated information. This is the way in which books were written and data were recorded -- via the calligrapher's hand. As a child, I was fascinated by the way in which my father would, draw pencil lines on a clean sheet of paper, and see how the letters emerged as he gave shape to them as well as give color to the pages. It is unfortunate that I do not have a copy of his best work. He did most of his work for other people. The image here is of something he did when he was very ill.  

The calligraphers of the past were employed by the church to copy the Bible, for example. This form of art, however, has not just been reserved for the Christian realm. Islamic calligraphy is as much part of the history of calligraphy.

The importance of this entry here is for the purpose to illustrate the desire for people to write for centuries. These days, computers are the instruments of choice for writing. Although some traditional writers still use the typewriter. However, calligraphy is where it all started, and there are myriads of computerised fonts that can mimic the art form. It does not, however, take you through the painstaking, disciplined process of the art form. That is where the enjoyment lies -- the enjoyment I saw in my father's face and eyes when he completed his most intricate work.


Reference:

McCormick, David . "News & BlogCalligraphy and Martial Arts." Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay. Accessed September 18, 2017. https://www.academieduello.com/news-blog/calligraphy-and-martial-arts/.

Specialization Writing

Specialization Writing

This is an interesting way to create a niche for yourself. If you have a special  interest in something, it would be easy to write about it. If you are an excellent crafts person, for example, it would be easy to simply share your methodology, and processes with others through your writing. The previous blog entry referred to niche writing. This is just an extra bit of information added to that.

It is important to write about what you know. However, you could still do research into whatever interests you. Some areas of specialized or niche writing are:

• Writers who have special interest in animals. These writers could be zookeepers, wildlife rangers, dog trainers, and many others who are simply interested in animals. 

• Those interested in motor vehicles or the automotive industry are sometimes called petrolheads. Should you be one of these people, you could be sharing your thoughts and special information regarding the automotive industry. 

• Artists with extensive background on materials and methods, could write information regarding the art world. It is also a matter of simply sharing basic knowledge, as well as experiential information. 

• Writing about the outdoors is a wonderful way in which to share both experiences as well as personal photographs of special places that you visited. The description of the journey and the places could be extremely interesting to those who enjoy the outdoors, and who would like to know more about local, or distant places.

• Travel writing is also a way in which you can document your own travels, but more so to give others the information they would love to have about places of interest to them. 

The main purpose of writing within your specialization, especially as an academic, as well, is to share your thoughts and interests with others. It is also a great way to save these thoughts and information in a safe place on the internet.