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Tag Archives: Hobbies

A Resolution I Can Keep

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by K.A.M. Boham in Writing

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Tags

Blogging, Books, Dreams, Following Your Passion, Hobbies, Kindness, Living with Disability, Living with TBI, Resolutions, Writer's Life, Writing

The first week of 2018 is coming to a close.  How are everyone’s resolutions going?  I don’t usually make resolutions but, moving forward, I am resolved to be kinder to myself.  I tend to be hard on myself, demand a great deal of myself, and then fall into negative self-talk when I can’t meet my own expectations.  In 2018, I resolve to say positive things about myself and focus on what I believe is my calling.  Writing.

I didn’t always think writing was my calling and, by ‘calling’ I mean the one thing I loved to do above all other things.  Writing was a hobby, nothing more.  After all, there were many other worthwhile things I could be doing.  I liked reading, enjoyed words, and always wrote even if it was just in a journal but it was always the thing I did to keep myself sane while I pursued that worthwhile thing.  And yet, there was always an image in my head: an example a friend set for me that always had me asking myself, is this worthwhile thing something I love doing?

That friend is Tara Novak and the example she set for me occurred on a New York trip we had opportunity to take with our High School drama group.  Tara is an immensely talented violinist and she brought her violin on that trip.  In the early morning, Tara was practicing her violin in the stairwell of the hotel our group was staying in.  That has always stayed with me.  With her talent, no doubt Tara could have taken a few days off practice and no one would have ever noticed.  She didn’t.  No matter what others might think or say, Tara was running scales before breakfast, honing her craft.  I never asked her if she did so because she loved violin too much not to play: whatever her reasons, her example is the standard I have measured my choices against.

I have taken enjoyment in many things and, perhaps they were worthwhile, but none of them was the thing I’d do in a hotel stairwell.  The only thing I’ve never wanted to take a day off from and, yes, would do in a hotel stairwell, is writing.  I love words.  Reading them, writing them, finding that one word that perfectly expresses what I want to say.  Words are my passion.

Pursuing that passion isn’t always easy.  I have some physical limitations from the car accident that can make writing difficult and I am not always nice to myself when I come up against those limitations.  I tell myself if I was a better writer, more talented, I would be able to write less drafts and my book would not be taking so long to complete.  I find Tara’s example a comfort in these times.  She wasn’t in that stairwell playing Bach’s Chaconne from Partita in D Minor (though she could have done if  she wanted!): she was playing scales.  I like to think of my writing that way.  I have thousands of words and, even though they aren’t yet honed into a manuscript, each word is like a note in a musical scale: the necessary practice for the manuscript that will come.  I remember Tara in a hotel stairwell on those days writing doesn’t go well or I’m especially tired.  She reminds me to never give up and I am able to show myself kindness.  I will always be grateful.

20171021_223800
Not a stairwell but I did recently get some work done in a hotel room. It came equipped with a lounge chair.

If you’re interested in how practice truly does make perfect, you can find Tara Novak on Facebook and Twitter as well as her website.

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Welcoming My Lighthearted Kitchen

06 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by K.A.M. Boham in Celebrating Renaissance People

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Art, Calligraphy, Guest Blogger, Guest Post, Hobbies, My Lighthearted Kitchen

Today, I am extending a warm welcome to a guest blogger.  I’ve been following My Lighthearted Kitchen  for a while; reading posts and saving recipes, but didn’t really connect with the author until she asked about other bloggers’ vegan stories.  I shared mine and have gotten to know the author a little.  I look forward to getting to know her better.

A guest post on Renaissance Woman is perfect because, in addition to being a compassionate vegan and amazing cook, My Lighthearted Kitchen has a unique hobby: calligraphy!  My mother used to do calligraphy and I was mesmerized by the pens and flowing script.  It wasn’t ever anything I was any good at but, after reading the guest post, I’ll have to try again.

Take it away!

 

When starting calligraphy, it can sometimes feel like you need a thousand different nibs, expensive paper, multiple inkwells and inks. The truth is, the basic material for calligraphy is pretty cheap and probably easily available to you. Let me take you through some of my basic supplies and a few resources that will help you get started!

calligraphy5

  1. Nib holder: I would suggest going to your art supply store and select a wooden nib holder. I find that the basic plastic ones are too light and tire my hand more quickly that heavier, wooden ones. I found a pretty decent one for 5$.
  2. Nib: I ordered a Nikko G nib online (on Paper Ink Arts) for around 2$ and it works so well! Flexible, but not too soft, I find that it is super easy to use and to get used to. It also gives out very thick downstrokes and  very thin upstrokes, for a perfect contrast!
  3. Paper: I bought a pad of bristol paper for 6$ at my local art supply store because it was readily available. If your store has more resources, you can also look for calligraphy practice pads which are very smooth sheets of paper that are thin enough to let you use a line guide (that is usually given in the pad) and cost around the same price.
  4. Ink: There are tons of really fancy inks out there, but I started out with the basic black China ink because it is easily available and super cheap. It’s a great place to start!
  5. Books: I really like Nib + Ink! It’s so great to start off as it gives excellent tips and practice sheets. That’s right, this guide will give you practice sheets with different writing styles that you can complete in the book itself, which means that you could get away with not buying out fancy paper until you’re sure you like calligraphy. I wish I lived in London so that I could visit the author’s studio; it looks fantastic!
  6. Websites: I love The Postman’s Knock and Julia Bausenhardt’s blogs. They are filled with really cool and fun techniques and super practical tips that will troubleshoot any of your calligraphy problems. They are an endless source of inspiration and information that are worth spending a few hours on!

calligraphy6

I hope these few tips help you if you are interested in starting calligraphy! If you’d like to, I would love it if you would take a second to check out my Etsy store at My Lighthearted Papers. I list samples of my own calligraphy and watercolour work on there. Let me know what your favourite calligraphy supplies are!

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K.A.M. Boham

Categories

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Renaissance Thoughts

  • Be A Turtle
  • Celebrating Poetry
  • A Resolution I Can Keep
  • For That Holiday Potluck
  • A New Plant-Based Snack on the Shelves

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