Pssst, Wanna see how I spent my morning?
The last few weeks have been some of the strangest in my adult life - transitioning out of homeschooling mama to full-time creative mama. In many ways it's been easier than I thought it would be [ helped greatly by the fact that both boys have been amazing and have settled in so well and so happily ] although I was lonesome at the beginning. But having time - having time to work on my own projects without interruption? Well, that's been almost 11 years in the waiting.
So it's actually been pretty fun!
It's also been confronting in lots of ways - I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone. Try new things. Push myself creatively. Get out there and meet interesting people. Eeeek!
And that's the short long version of how I came to sign up for a workshop at Splash.
Splash | A weekend of workshops and creative conversations
Splash promises to be a Splash of colour, a Splash of inspiration, a Splash of creativity and a weekend of fun. Hosted by Paper Runway in The Lodge at Atlantic Byron Bay. This will be the first of its kind to be held at Atlantic.
I've always dabbled in calligraphy - dabbled ;) - but not PROPERLY very often. Properly meaning: like, with ink. Lol. But I use my handwriting all the time. And I am ready to get inky. Join me!
Oh, I forgot to mention that Atlantic Byron Bay is a gorrrrgeous place for a workshop!
Or to stay.
Or to stay and do a workshop! I wasn't staying, obviously, but I absolutely should have / could have!! and I recommend you do ;)
A table set with girl-porn. Paper, letter guides, cute clipboards, ink, graphite pencils and mahogany Japanese-nibbed calligraphy pens. Drool.
Ingrid and Sabine.
Oh, and it was catered. Which is a word that every busy hungry woman loves to hear.
Juniper from The Unexpected Guest [ hello Bangalow ] served us her super-yummy Freestyle Granüesli - loving that name. And your Pelican, Juniper! - with organic yoghurt and possibly the best stewed pears ever.
Note to self: We have pears that need using up!!!! Stew pears for breakfast tomorrow morning.
We all got to know each other on the deck a little bit before the class started.
Unsuprisingly - this is Byron! - it was raining. As it does.
Admiring Sabine's beautiful work and inspiration.
And then it got serious.
New nibs have a coating that needs to be burnt off before you can start. Here we go!
I couldn't help doing a little free-lensing ;)
When actually what I needed to do was learn to slow down.
Press on the downstroke.
Soften on the upstroke.
Find the right angle.
Breathe.
Let it be meditation.
Show and tell. I wish these were my flourishes!
Fortune favours the brave.
[ I do hope so! ]
I'm organising a Byron Bay Instagrammers #meetup and, in between trying to perfect our up/down strokes, we all swapped instagram names.
The last half an hour was slightly torturous as Marvell Street Roasters set up a coffee tasting area on the deck behind us.
Hello Rwanda! Delicious.
And then, far too quickly, [ yes it's true. Time does fly when you're having fun. Doesn't that suck? ] it was time to go home. To soften the blow, we were bundled up with a Splash gift bag full of fab treats and our special calligraphy booty.
Okay, happy again :)
Details:
+ Congratulations to Nikki at Paper Runway for hosting such a cool event.
+ Splash | A weekend of workshops and creative conversations
+ Sabine Pick | Hand Lettering and Letterpress
+ Atlantic Byron Bay Guesthouse
+ Breakfast by The Unexpected Guest
+ Coffee by Marvell Street Coffee Roasters
+ Flowers by Twig & Grace
If you live in Byron [ or surrounds ] and you would like an invitation to the Byron Bay Instagrammers meet-up just follow me on instagram and say hello!
Amber. XO
