If At First You Don’t Succeed, Write, Write Again

When it comes to the art of calligraphy, Linda Yoshida subscribes to the notion that practice makes perfect. “We need to be constantly learning and honing our skills in order for calligraphy to stay relevant, and to keep up with the changing times and client requests,” she explained in an interview with The Pen Company. “I firmly believe that to be a good calligrapher, we need to study from the old masters.”

Yoshida practices what she preaches. A member of the Society for Calligraphy in Southern California, she has studied from master calligraphers and has taken many classes and workshops to improve her skills.

“After attending various workshops and conferences, the best takeaway is that calligraphy is a life-long learning experience,” she writes on her website. “There are students who are already very skilled, yet still very humble and want to learn from the best. I find that extremely inspiring. I am a perpetual student and truly believe we should never stop learning to improve our craft. I have learned so much, but I have a lifetime’s worth of studying to go.”

A graphic designer by day and a calligraphy enthusiast by night, she stresses that there’s nothing wrong with being self-taught, but that at least for her, mastering her craft meant going to the source. Scrolling through her Instagram page might inspire you to do just that.