Learning a New Skill: Having fun with Hand Lettering

I posted an update earlier this week and mentioned that I’m learning lots of new things. I wanted to take a few minutes today to share one of the things I’m learning that’s just for fun and just for me: hand lettering.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Some links may be affiliate links. See the full disclosure here.

I’ve wanted to learn hand lettering for a long time, but for a couple of years I got caught up in the chaos that is early motherhood, and fell into the mindset that learning something new that wasn’t a necessity was a luxury I didn’t have the time or energy for.

Oh how wrong I was! It wasn’t until we had a little more breathing room in life, and I started to explore and find my own creative outlets separate from home and husband and children, that I realized just how much pent-up creative energy I had and just how important using those gifts and talents are.

Now, I take advantage of opportunities to stretch my mind and my creative side any chance I get. So when Lorelei asked for reviewers for her new hand lettering book, Advent A-Z, my hand immediately shot up. I’d seen her previous lettering book on social media, and know her well enough to know that she puts her whole heart and soul into what she creates, so I was sure it would be a great learning experience.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to model learning a new skill for G, who inherited my perfectionist tendencies and her father’s anxiety, a tricky combination. Lately, she’s been getting very frustrated when she can’t make the vision in her head a reality. She’s also begun trying to avoid new tasks, especially those she isn’t confident that she can master quickly. One of the things her therapist has suggested to us is to model failure and perseverance more explicitly with her. A brand new skill to learn, and one that she would understand since she is also practicing her penmanship these days, was exactly what I was looking for.

To that end, I’ve been trying to sit down next to her and practice my hand lettering where she can see me. We work side by side, and I try to remember to comment out loud when I reach a new letter (“this one looks hard, but I’ll do my best”) or when I make a mistake (“everyone makes mistakes sometimes, see, even mom. I’ll try again.”).

She also gets the opportunity to see me trying something new, and enjoying it, even though I’m not perfect at it right away. I want her to see that there’s joy in the process of learning a new skill, and pride to be found in giving one’s best.

Now, I’m truly a beginner at hand lettering, but Lorelei’s book has made it easy to learn. The directions are clear and simple, the pages are gracefully and practically designed. I love the amount of repetition- it falls into the goldilocks zone for me, not too much and not too little.

I’ve also been very much enjoying being able to move slowly with it, at my own pace, step by step. There are quotes throughout to practice with, and those are so beautifully designed and so prayerful. And because it’s a lettering practice book, it doesn’t require a whole lot of time to set up and get ready- which is always a plus around here. I can just open up to where I’ve left off and spend a few minutes quietly practicing. What a gift!

I’ve had such fun learning, and I’m sure you will too. Advent starts in a few weeks, and Advent A-Z would be a perfect addition to your Christmas preparations.