This Class is Full.
The Creative Sketchbook for Calligraphers with Patti Adams
Creativity is something that requires nourishment. One of my favorite books about creativity is by the great dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. There are so many quotes in this book that resonate with me: “In order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative. No one can give you your subject matter, your creative content; if they could, it would be their creation and not yours. But there’s a process that generates creativity – and you can learn it. And you can make it habitual.” In this workshop, my goal is to share with you my creative process; how I have learned to make it a habit in my daily life.
My sketchbooks have always been a safe place for experimentation and reflection. No deadline is involved. There are no expectations - a sketchbook is a place free from pressure - from you or the client! It is a place to store ideas and inspiring visuals, whether it be a painting, a piece of fabric, a flower or a feather. It can be a place to constantly hone your skills, whether it be with a new lettering style or calligraphic hand.
Most importantly, a sketchbook beckons you to come and play - a vitally important part of creativity - making time to make marks on the page. In fact, most of my commissioned artwork begins on the pages of a sketchbook. The seed of an idea takes root there and grows into something I could not have imagined otherwise.
The great Maya Angelou said, “You can’t use creativity up. The more you use it, the more you have.” Our days can be filled with daily, repetitive or mundane tasks (the dishes, the bills, the chores, our work routines...) that can deaden our ability to create, leaving us feeling frustrated and sapped of our creative juices. For me, the best preventative for this is to make time for play in the pages of my sketchbook. In fact, whenever I get in a grumpy funk, my husband will suggest: “Maybe you need to go to the coffee shop with your sketchbook...” LOL! And it always works. I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, even if I only have fifteen minutes to spare in my jam-packed day.
In this workshop, I will lead you through a series of exercises designed to boost your creativity and cultivate inspiration as a calligrapher. I will share with you ways to overcome creative blocks in your work and give you exercises that will jumpstart the habit of creativity.
We will:
Explore different color palettes and mediums
Experiment with collage and a variety of tools to strengthen line and texture in our work
Create unusual and compelling layout designs with our favorite calligraphic hands
Play with experimental hand lettering styles
Discuss ways to find inspiration and how to make time for your daily creative practice
And much more...