Hi all!
What I am going to share today may be the most important part to help lettering change your life! (no joke: it truly has changed my outlook on life!)
When I ask about peoples’ struggles with hand lettering, a lot of people tell me that they are lacking inspiration. They get stumped when they sit down with their pen and paper and don't know what to write.
So maybe they decide to look at what someone else is writing or copy super popular phrases that have been posted a bunch already. There is nothing wrong with that – I just believe there is a better way!
I just want MORE for you. I want you to focus on finding words that make your heart sing! Words that make you think or that are really funny to you or whatever floats your boat. I want to encourage you to be original.
How can you make your hand lettering personal and special to you? The most important first step to take to start hand lettering is Gathering Good Words!
I have a few tips for collecting words to make the most of your mindful lettering experience:
Tip #1 – Decide on a “home” for your Lettering List
I often use the notes section on my phone (it’s pretty much always with me!) but you can also get a little notebook or journal or even a sheet of paper hanging on the fridge. Whatever works for you that you think you can be consistent with.
Tip #2 – Think about what really matters to YOU.
Asking yourself these questions may help get you thinking:
- What am I feeling anxious or worried about?
- What am I excited about or looking forward to?
- What have I been struggling with?
- What do I love doing?
- Who are the most important people in my life?
- What does my dream life look like?
Tip #3 – Start paying attention to the words all around you.
You may be surprised that when you are on the hunt for words to letter that all of a sudden you notice new lyrics in songs you’ve heard that you didn’t know were there or you’ll hear something darling your child says in a deeper and more meaningful way. Or maybe when you’re having a conversation with a friend, something you or they say will stick out to you.
I often find myself thinking about what I might be worried or stressed about that day and what advice I need. I think: What words will help me to feel better? What advice would I give a friend going through the same thing? How can I make meaning out of this situation? This is partly why lettering feels like therapy to me, because I really am giving myself advice!
This is about finding your ‘content style.’ I want to encourage you to take time to really think about your passions and how you can do lettering in your own way!
When you're ready to start working on your 'lettering style', I have tons of resources to get you started! You can read my post about My Hand Lettering Must-Haves, learn How To Hold Your Brush Pen, or start practicing with any of our lettering workbooks!
The Creative Lettering Journal is an amazing place to start. It teaches you faux calligraphy - the first step to hand lettering that you can practice with ANY writing utensil that you already have in the house! Learn more here.
So, what good words will be making it onto your list today? I share a lot of my favorite phrases on my Instagram page! Hope to see you there 😘
Xo 💛 Lisa
