Adventures in: Hand Lettering

I think that I am the last person anyone would expect to find involved in any sort of craft that requires patience and a steady hand.  But hand lettering has always fascinated me, and I've always wanted to give it a try, but alas, no patience. Not to mention the fact that I have a doctor's handwriting on a good day.

I spent a while browsing through the ever-helpful archives of Pinterest for lots of inspiration to help me along the way. My first attempts were so tragic; they resembled a first grader's first use of cursive writing. I almost gave up,  but I'm glad I didn't.

I stopped trying to make my handwriting pretty (which just wasn't going to happen), and instead looked at the examples I had chosen for inspiration and tried to copy them as a drawing. Once I looked at the intricate letters and decorations as art, and not writing, I was able to make a little headway. It took a lot of focus for someone like me, not gonna lie, to focus on such precise and minute detail. I eventually found it to be really therapeutic and relaxing, and was really enjoying myself towards the end of my exploratory session today.

I actually slowed down while working on this one. I think it's my favorite so far. I find it kind of funny... just writing those words helped me to really embrace its meaning in a meditative kind of way. 

I just scribbled with some watercolor pencils to make a background for this one. I was so nervous while drawing the letters, though, in case I messed up and ruined the whole page! Even though the "BE" got a little wonky and I had to change my initial plans, I think it's really cute and cheerful. 

Can't wait to give this a try again and see how I progress over time!