Calligraphy Flourishes on Instagram
Entranced by the rise and fall of each stroke, many Diamond Bar High School students have been inspired to learn the art of calligraphy. With the rise of art accounts, these students have decided to showcase their passion through social media.
Sophomore Olivia Hwang has 15,000 followers on her Instagram, @cloudystori, where she publishes her work through a bullet journal. Bullet journaling, a way for people to write out their thoughts or plans through art and calligraphy, allows individuals to intertwine images and drawings alongside text. Hwang uses this format to convey multiple daily experiences.
“[I used] events in my day—something in nature or a movie I watched.” Hwang said. “It helps me relieve stress and wind down from my day.”
Hwang started bullet journaling after observing her friends do the same, and has since been able to meet a community of bullet journalists that help provide feedback on her work.
“My advice is don’t be scared to try it, experiment with your style and be patient because it takes a while,” Hwang said. Sophomore Megan Lee, who goes by @spicyscribbles on Instagram, first discovered her passion for calligraphy in fifth grade, when her after-school teacher demonstrated some of her calligraphy skills in class. Left in awe, Lee returned home and searched for examples of gothic-style calligraphy online and began to mimic the style.
“At my first attempts people were like ‘oh that’s so crusty, anyone can do this,’ so I was like ‘I’m going to show them!” Lee said.
Since her first exposure to gothic calligraphy, Lee has since tried various forms of calligraphy such as brush calligraphy and pointed-pen calligraphy.
Lee said her initial goal for her calligraphy account was to keep track of her progress with monthly posts, but has recently been considering it as a potential future career opportunity.
“It’s pretty gratifying to see likes but also I feel if I can get my account big enough then it would be easier to start a business,” Lee said.
Junior Natalie Kim displays her love for calligraphy on her Instagram, @natk.creates. Kim practices the art of hand lettering, a style similar to calligraphy but more focused on illustrating the letters. Kim said that lettering appealed to her because of its appearance, flexibility and freedom of interpretation.
“I’m more into faux calligraphy, and utilizing different styles of text like creating block letters or adding a shadow behind a letter,” Kim said.
Having started lettering last year, Kim’s first exposure was through watching Youtube videos by calligraphy artists such as AmandaRachLee.
“You kind of start off with copying other peoples’ styles because you want to learn how to do it,” Kim said. “Everyone personally has their own handwriting, so it’s kind of the same thing applied to calligraphy. Once you find your style you’ll discover it’s different.”
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