When it comes to birthday cards, or indeed cards for any occasion, what could be more heartening than to receive a handmade card with a personal message exquisitely penned in calligraphy? This surely beats a mass-produced alternative any day. Calligraphy combines two or even three art forms, depending on our definitions and how it is generated. It blends fine art, linguistic art and craft. As such, it has huge potential to communicate a message which touches the reader on levels of both visual perception and verbal comprehension. At a time when words are all too often demoralising, accusative or just downright scary, what a wonderful gift to be able to present someone with an inspirational or encouraging text in the form of a card or framed quote.
Calligraphy is an ancient art form, finding origins in all corners of the world. The word calligraphy derives from two Greek words meaning beautiful and writing. However, forms of intricately crafted letter formation go back way further, to the Chinese and Phoenician empires. Phoenician scripts provided the roots of our Western calligraphy, altered down the ages by the Greeks and Romans. The wide variety of scripts which developed over the years makes a fascinating study, with the names given them no less worthy of note. Would you like to try your hand at Roman Imperial Capitals, Insular Majuscules, Caroline Minuscules or Lombardic Capitals?
Equally interesting is to trace the purpose of calligraphy through the centuries. In ancient China, it was expected that all educated men and some women would be able to produce a script using brush strokes to communicate through the written form. Skipping through to the Middle Ages in Europe, monks worked long hours by candlelight to copy large portions of the Christian Bible. The stunning Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels reveal not only the skills these religious communities had, but also the dedication and passion that the Scriptural texts they were copying inspired.
One might think that the invention of the printing press would have completely put an end to the need for calligraphy, but this was not the case. Certainly, the mass production of the written word ended the painstaking copying of Christian texts, but there were some manuscripts, for example, music scores and scientific papers, which still needed to be handwritten. It could be said that the invention of the printing press, rather than ending calligraphy, brought about a divide between handwriting for the main purpose of communication (for instance letter writing due to the rise in literacy) and written text produced for the sheer beauty of it.
However, as time went by the interest in calligraphy did drop, though it experienced a rise in popularity during the Arts and Crafts movement. It also broadened in its purpose during the Victorian age and into the twentieth century as many more children were being taught to write often in stylish copperplate (associated with English Roundhand) script.
We see today that calligraphy is yet again enjoying a comeback, with its potential to communicate messages which inspire, motivate and encourage. Here at Craft Insurance we are proud of the calligraphers we work with and enjoy watching their businesses grow.
So, if you have a love of and expertise in calligraphy, might you be able to catch the wave of its current popularity? From our observations, we would suggest you can. It can seem like a big leap to turn a hobby into a business, but if you start small and break down the hurdles, it is eminently possible. Start-up costs are low; as a keen calligrapher you probably already have a good assortment of pens, brushes and pencils. You then need paper or card, depending on what you are going to be selling. Possibly one of the gentlest ways to ease into selling your products is to produce a range of cards. You might decide to create a broad selection, covering birthdays, weddings, new babies etc, all with different styles and techniques. Or, you might like to develop a single, coordinated style and use this throughout your collection.
Another possibility you could consider is holding a workshop locally to teach some basic calligraphy. Many communities have an Arts Hub or Quarter, and it’s worth finding your way to one of them; you will meet like-minded people and be able to get on board with local art projects, often including workshops.
We mentioned earlier that it can be helpful to break down some of the tasks involved in starting a new business. One of these is often insurance, which can seem daunting initially. Would you need insurance and if so, what kind? As a family business ourselves we want to ensure you have the best value for money. Depending on what your plans are for the year, one way of doing this is to purchase one-day public liability insurance. One-day public liability insurance is easy to acquire and could be a good option if you are just starting out and only planning on attending one or two events this year. This could be a craft stall or a workshop. Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement but many event organisers ask for it. It covers you in the unlikely occurrence that a member of the public claims that they have been injured or had property damaged by one of your products. While this seems extremely unlikely at a calligraphy event, table legs can be stumbled over, anything could fall to the ground and cause a trip hazard or a glass picture frame could break. The whole purpose of one-day public liability insurance is to cover you for unforeseeable mishaps. We often call it our sleep-easy insurance. So drop us a line or pick up the phone and either Naomi or Sam will be here to answer your questions.
As we have seen, calligraphy is an ancient art form, with a rich and fascinating heritage. Maybe in our time, it will rise to the fore as an art form which can bring words to encourage, inspire and breathe life into people’s hearts and homes.
