Or, Expanding My Business, Chapter 2.
I have rid my house of a lot of ゴミ gomi trash through the magical e-world of Freecycle--stuff that is still, of course, of use but for which I simply no longer find need. I scribble the recipient's name on a piece of scratch paper (always in abundance) with my handy-dandy felt-tip calligraphy pen and set the baggies outside for pickup in front of the garage door.
One day, a woman had commented back to me on a kind "thank you" email regarding my calligraphy. It turns out she was into Japanese sumi calligraphy, the kind I earned my teaching license in back in 1997 while still living in Japan. She had always dreamed, while in Japan with the State Department, of becoming the first left-handed brush calligrapher--but that dream had never actualized, perhaps in part due to the fact that left-handedness is completely repressed in Japanese society and you are forced into being right-handed. Regardless, we exchanged a few emails and that was that.
Out of the blue---
On Sunday I received an email from her inquiring into my calligraphy and how much I would charge to do a 7 stanza poem (each stanza in haiku form) that she had written some 18 years ago for her father, that she would like to present him with for his upcoming 80+ birthday. It would be an interesting mix of my cultures and a wonderful challenge; she has envisioned black sumi ink on exquisite washi (rice) paper calligraphization of Western script; the poem is in English.
So I am looking forward to having some time, perhaps this afternoon, to get my sumi stone out, rub my ink, loosen up my brushes and do some practice samples of different "fonts" that would look good done in brush strokes. What a fun project! And to be paid a little for it as well--who would have ever thunk it?! I have been paid lump sums for wedding invitation envelopes or graduation envelopes or school certificates in the past, but nothing like this; I will do quotes, prayers or poems for friends or my children's teachers as gifts. So this could be a lot of fun...and all from simply having scribbled someone's name on a piece of scratch paper with a nice pen. Go figure.
Okay: so we have Spanish professor/dream analysis/palm reader/calligraphizer. This is getting interesting and all the more varied all the time. Get a degree in horticulture (another dream of mine...costs nothing to dream) and we'll add Master Gardener to the list...JA! I wish...
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Opportunities come from the strangest places, don't you agree? What an elegant way to make a few extra dollars! Doing something you enjoy so very much!
ResponderEliminarBlessings ~
Good plans - and why not add Gardener to that list? I'm sure you're capable of doing all those things well - and they wouldn't all happen at once I'd imagine. Calligraph yourself a nice Business card (you probably already have ... ):)
ResponderEliminarGreat to catch up with you and your very full life. And yes - keep laughing - it's medicinal. Go well Mapi.
Calligrapher... I haven't done that since high school. How fun. Enjoy.
ResponderEliminarVal, I think that is the magic--if we can all find and make a living doing what we love to do in Life, and are good at it to boot, what a much happier society we would be. That would be my idea of Shangri-La. I am blessed; I'm not too far from that utopia.
ResponderEliminarChief, I am just awaiting the first (of many, not a mid-winter exception) 70 degree day to get out and stick my hands into my garden, get my vegetable area mulched with my compost, cut back and shape my herbs a bit and get some landscaping done I have on my list. I absolutely love working my garden and will have to post photos at some point!
Z, my mother was a calligrapher and she bought me a kit when I was 11 years old. As she is left-handed there is so much I could not learn directly from her, but her example did motivate me to teach myself to learn calligraphy. Many have commented that my handwriting is very calligraphy-like; perhaps due to the fact that I started doing calligraphy only just after starting to develop my cursive writing hand. Of course, the computer fonts now available can flawlessly produce just about anything, which would--sadly--put a pure calligrapher out of business.
Be well, all.