Learn to learn…
An essay…
When I finished Symbiosis V, I was elated. After nine months of molding an idea, the finish line felt like winning a trophy. I immediately signed up to take a class— which I referred to last week— not aware of tired I was really feeling. My mind needed a reset. As a result, I took a break from my daily practice.
The break allowed me to think about a two things:
the need to listen to experts
the willingness to go back to the foundations
Sometimes we do not listen. Especially when the advice ruffles our feathers a bit. Yet, that is when we need to listen more or even go back to the moment it was given, read it again, or review the conversation. It might sting, of course it would. We might be too invested or too attached to a direction. Frequently we do not see our own limitations or shortcomings due to inexperience and/or arrogance. Often it is inexperience dressed in arrogance.
This last week, I sent my work to a master calligrapher to see if he was willing to offer online private tutoring to continue my learning and improving on gestural calligraphy. His name is Brody Neuenschwander. Brody has won many distinctions that curiously enough, he does not list on his website. You can read about his accolades on the Wikipedia page. Yes, I checked the sources, it is legit.
I have been an admirer of Brody’s work for a long time and once took a course with him through The Gentle Penman. I was in awe. Any visit to see his work on the website will leave you speechless. Which is true of many of the big names in the calligraphy world. My desire to try online tutoring is because Brody lives abroad.
After contacting him and sending him selected images of my work, he offered his feedback. But, it was not what I expected. To read his feedback, was impressive, encouraging, and a little sad. It took me several days to feel better about it. Of course I was expecting to be lauded. He did praise my use of bold letters and composition. But he remarked my need to improve on the foundational structure of the letters. Thus, he recommended I focus on Roman, Foundational, and Italic scripts while not forgetting my boldness in the work and letters.
The fact that his eye was that sharp to see the gaps in my work with only a few samples, was remarkable. While I understood exactly what he was seeing, I was also shocked. Typography and letters are my things; the objects of my affection. They are more like my obsessions. And I have worked hard to acquire a serious set of skills and dexterity. Yet, he saw my flaws. That was impressive.
Hard to read, yes. And so true. I knew the truth. At that point, I had only two options: I either listened to what he had to say and work on my gaps, or ignored him and continue on knowing full well what I need to improve. I opted to listen and find ways to improve. That will be either through books, videos, tutoring, practice, and cold observation, analysis, and self critique.
I know what is like to see gaps in the work I oversee. As a design educator, I see it all the time. Worse than the gaps, often students are unwilling to reconsider, review, and restart. Sometimes they feel time betrays them. Sometimes the lack of trust holds them back. Sometimes they trick themselves into thinking they did something different but it is still the same. Sometimes they fight back with a feigned politeness. And sometimes, it is simply an unwillingness to listen.
I realized that Brody did not owe me feedback or even a look at my work. But he did because there is an implicit pact between creatives; we help each other and trust each other. So, yes, my attitude and disposition changed quickly. I had a direction to follow and grow in. And I plan to focus on incorporating foundational scripts in combination with the gestural work I often create.
Recently, I came across an interview Saul Bass gave in 1986. It is posted on Open Culture. “ ‘In 1986, Boston paid a visit to Bass’ studio for a project called 20 Outstanding Los Angeles Designers shooting a conversation that touched on many subjects, including the eminence’s main piece of advice for graphic design students. “Learn to draw,” Bass pronounces.’ ”
“Learn to draw…”
He continued to explain that ” ‘If you don’t, you’re going to live your life getting around that and trying to compensate for that.” According to Bass, aspiring designers fail to master drawing, one of communication’s most basic but richest forms, at their peril.’ ”
In every discipline, be it sports, music, dance, calligraphy, art, medicine, and others, there should always be time to strengthen the foundation, to practice the fundamentals, to review the basics, to learn and relearn what we think we know. Our painting professor, Ben Shamback, is amazing at drawing. He excels at it. He tutors me more or less weekly. Each time I feel I am taking precious time from his painting practice and each time he says: “there is always time to draw.”
Therefore, for me, Brody’s words can be translated to learn the basic alphabets and learn them well. Learn to draw the structure of the letters and learn it well. Because then I can really fly and express myself.
Below, a poor practice page of the practice that I am starting today.
