What Is Calligraphy?I learnt what is Calligraphy when I was gifted a Calligraphy set. I was a kid, my aunt gave me a calligraphy set for Christmas one year. As I wielded the pen, I quickly became enamoured in the art. If you are wondering exactly what calligraphy is and how it works as art, then you will be fascinated with the history of this ancient writing style. Literally translated, calligraphy means beautiful writing. "Kalli means beautiful, while "graphia" makes a reference to writing. In ancient times, the Egyptians used hieroglyphics. This evolved into our written language. Calligraphy has roots in several different cultures. These have all influenced the modern style of calligraphy that we know today. The Turks, the Chinese, and the Arabic cultures were all early pioneers in the art. As time went on, but still long before the invention of the printing press, books were written out by scribes of a parchment type paper. Today's image brings to mind fancy script for wedding invitations or thank you notes. Why has the art of calligraphy been so lasting? What is Calligraphy so deep rooted for? Even with the invention of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century, those who had calligraphy training were still in demand. Since the bulky printing press wasn't practical for everyday correspondence, monks were relied on to provide the writing on letters, invitations and other formal written material. Within a hundred years, the demand had decreased for calligraphy, and by the 19th century, the fountain pen was replaced by the flat edged pen. This made calligraphy almost impossible to achieve, with the special curves nearly impossible with the flat pen. Fortunately, a British poet by the name of William Morris, started a movement to revive the art form of calligraphy. Even with the onset of the computer and many other means of communication, the art of calligraphy has still held firm. The human touch comes with a handwritten note and is further enhanced with the artistic elements of calligraphy. When writing calligraphy, the author or writer has the power to draw inferences with the flow of the hand, suggestions with the angle of the letters, and a picture with the structure of the letters. Some compare it to a musical score, with the letters being the notes. The computer age has tried to mimic the look of calligraphy with different font options. These are a mere reflection of the genuine care put into a well executed note in calligraphy. I will never forget the way it felt as I watched words flow from that mysterious pen. I formed cards, notes and inserts into my photo albums. As time went by, I never lost my love for beautiful penmanship. Call me nostalgic, but there is nothing sweeter than a note, written on crispy paper.
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