Lettering changed my life. That may sound dramatic, but it's true. And I know it can change yours too.
In 2014, my life was a little crazy. It had been a little over a year since my younger brother had passed away and after a challenging pregnancy, I had just given birth to a beautiful baby - a true gift. 2 weeks after she was born, I had insane pain in my left leg - after it swelled and started turning purple, I went to the ER & found out it was a severe blood clot going from my stomach all the way down to my ankle.
I also had life threatening blood clots in both lungs. After surgery on my leg (including inserting 2 stents to hold open a collapsed vein near my belly button), a week in the hospital, I was sent home in a wheelchair, bedridden. I couldn't walk for a month and had to have home nursing, physical therapists and more to get back to "normal." Just to add insult to injury, during this time another one of my children was going through major challenges that were almost too much for me to handle.
It was intense! My depression and anxiety were showing up too of course, which is always a treat (not!). I didn’t have control over most aspects of my life. And then I had a chance to get into lettering. All of a sudden, I had something. Something to look forward to – an outlet, an escape. It was my therapy. While working on lettering, I was focused on the chalk or the brush strokes and it gave my brain a break from the stress of my other life events. I didn’t do it perfectly but it didn’t matter. I didn’t overthink it. I just did it.
As time went on, I loved having something of my own that I could work on. My brain was learning something new and being creative felt good for my soul.
The cool thing about lettering is that words are powerful. They are inspiring. They have the ability to transform our thoughts, feelings & lives. When I was going through hard times, I started looking for quotes, scriptures, lyrics & sayings that motivated me and I would letter them. I would write them over and over again. As I did, my spirits were lifted – it was like a form of meditation. I was focused on the positive and it made my life more positive.
Lettering became my therapy. All of a sudden, I was finding inspiration all around me. Something my kids said, a passage from a book, words from a sermon – they all meant more to me. I would keep track of them all in a list in my phone (I still do this) and the practice of doing this was very uplifting! I was searching for light and recording it. Then I was sharing it with others on Instagram, hoping it might bless someone else’s life too – and it did.
Now, I could go on and on about MANY other positive things that have happened because of lettering – incredible relationships with other creatives, a growing business (I never ever planned on!), learning other art forms & finding out that I could do things I never thought were possible. It has brought me SO. MUCH. JOY.
I want it to the same thing for you! And I know it can. None of what I’m talking about had to do with creating “perfect lettering.” It was just the act of being creative and writing positive words. I know that will bless your life. Here are some ideas to get started:
-Start keeping a list of inspiring words & quotes. You can keep it in a notebook, in your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Pay attention to what people say, *your favorite movie quotes, lyrics from songs, scriptures, anything that brings you joy. You will also start coming up with your own quotes- that is the BEST!
-Take some time every day to write and ponder. Take out a quote and write and re-write it. You can just start with your "regular handwriting" or practice mimicking a font you love or you can play around with the layout. As you do this, those positive words will engrave themselves in your mind and heart. You will think about how you want to live a more intentional life and it will be a blessing to you! (*Just be aware of copyright issues if you plan to sell any of your designs. If you are just making them for yourself, you should be fine. :)
-Try memorizing while you write. Sometimes when I have a verse or quote that I want to memorize, it's the perfect time to do it while I'm lettering it over and over again. It's soothing, therapeutic and inspiring. Give it a try!
-Share your inspiration. Whether you do this by posting on your Instagram account, hanging it on your fridge, taking a picture of it to text to a friend or giving it away to a neighbor, spread the love! You will be amazed at how good it feels to spread light and positivity this way. The world can use every ounce of light and goodness we have to share!
So my friend, THIS is why I love lettering. THIS is why I teach classes. Because I want you to have this joy too! Whether you end up taking one of our courses, start a routine practice with one of our Daily Mindful Lettering books, or learning another way, I hope lettering changes your life too. I hope it brings you MEANING and JOY and LOVE. And that you can then share those things with the world.
I know I may not have met you yet in person but if you've made it all the way to the end of this post, I really do LOVE YOU! Thank you for your care and support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.
So much love,
Lisa
