Knowing What to Practice For Hand Lettering

Ever feel like "I don't know what to practice!"? 

This is how I felt after finishing my Alphabet series. I didn't know what to sketch next! I realize I need to continue practicing hand lettering if I want to get better. I haven't explored all the typefaces, variations, and styles. I've been playing around with script and compositing pieces together. 

I would avoid going online to "look for inspiration" - more on this in another post. Today, however I will keep it brief: Searching for ideas online makes you feel like you accomplished something when you didn't do anything on your own. You get this satiated feeling from browsing all these ideas and concepts. You also end up copying from someone else. Our brains store so much information, and it would be easy to take designs and inspirations from other people and claim it to be your own. Remember that nothing is new under the sun! 

If you ever find yourself not knowing what to practice here are some ideas: 

• Serif letters
• Sans Serif Letter
• Script Letter
• Black letter
• Uncial (Roman) Letters
• Composition Your Favorite Quote
• Sketch Your Friends Name
• Scripture has plenty of quotes you can pull from.

At the end of the day you want to make something. Don't wait until everything is perfect. Learn to correct things as you go along. 

Need some guidelines for practicing? Download some guidelines (dots) I made here.

Setting Routines for Hand Lettering

Congratulations! That's  a great start. Starting is typically the hardest part. 

Getting started is typically the hardest part because we aim for perfectionism before putting anything out there. 

We tend to want  everything in perfect order before we start. Trying to be sure that everything is in order tends to be a hindrance in getting started. When you start you can make corrections along the way, and its better to learn from experience. I say this because it becomes easier to teach another person and prevent them from making the same mistakes. You'll find ways to make things work, you'll learn what didn't work. 

So, you've made the proper arrangements to get 2-4 hours of time blocked in for your practice sessions. On your schedule its every Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 7:00 am - oh wait is that too early for you? OK lets change that to pm. 

Now its time to start your routine. 

First things first, you have start by saying no - you can read more on this in my previous post. Just know that it leaves room for you to do other things (like practice). It leaves room for better opportunities (like meet ups). Allows room for more time for the things you really want to do.

Routine for hand lettering

Know what you are practicing. It takes more than showing up. You have to have some things set in place:

• What will you be practicing?
• Whats the goal of this practice session? 

Be sure you are deliberately practicing.
Take your time, start out slow. You want to build muscle memory.

Have you heard of 25 minuet focus time? 

This method, also known as pomodoro  technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals - traditionally 25 minutes in length. This is separated by short breaks. The method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. So maybe you don't have three hours of practice time a day. Pull out your android or iPhone, put it on airplane mode and set a timer for twenty five minuets. Feel like twenty five minuets isn't enough?

I'd gradually work my way up to 90 minuets. Block it out on a calendar. Treat yourself like a meeting. The best time to do something for yourself is in the morning. Less interruptions occur because everyone else is still sleeping. Know that you are important, and start your day off doing something for yourself - like a passion project. 

Iterate In Public.

For my alphabet series, I chose an ornamental style to explore with illustration. I sketched out blank blocks to know how many pages were needed for the letters. Originally I was going to post a.b.c.d..  and remembered that Instagram posts the latest images first. I even posted the wrong letter. But rather than delete the post, I left it and went ahead and numbered the letters so that I could remember what day I was on. 

One of my cousins even called me out (over the weekend) - noticing that I didn't finish my last challenge (the 100 day project) but its all good. That public accountability is needed, and now that I've started my 365 day challenge, its been going well. As of today we are on day 23/365 - only 342 days left. 

“Make Time For The Things You Enjoy.
”

A Key Point Regarding Time

Everyone doesn't have the same amount of time to practice. Do what works for you. I am an early bird - and I've been that way for years. I prefer to get my work done in the earlier part of the day. I also prefer to do something for myself before delving into work for other people. However, not everyone has the luxury to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to do something for themselves. They may be married/have a significant other to spend time with, have children, be in school, work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet, or have a demanding job that takes all their energy away. Each individual has different circumstances to overcome. Do what works best for you!

As you practice you are building your reputation, consistency, and reliability. These all have an effect on your brand. If you are in for the long game, you aren't focused on immediate results. You know that in order to see results it will take time, dedication, and consistency. 

The scheduled breaks you have on your calendar are not places to fill with more stuff. Some stuff can wait. And you have to remember to say no to some good things so you can have the opportunity to say yes to great things.

Slow and Steady wins the race. It also prevents burn out! 

Remember The Reason Why You Are Doing This.

Maybe it's a hobby, a skill you are learning, or a side hustle that you want to be more. Maybe to build extra income, switch careers, or build knowledge somewhere. You have your reasons and that should be kept in the forefront. It will help you to keep at it with your practice sessions and stay motivated when you don't feel like doing the work. Back in January I wrote about my morning routine. You can read more about that here.

Just Say, "NO".

"Say no to many things, so that you have room and the opportunity to say yes to great things." - Sean McCabe

Perhaps you can relate when I say it's difficult to say no to people. It's especially challenging to say no to the ones you love, family, friends, or significant others. 

I have a lofty goal of getting out of debt. 

Most of my debt is from student loans. There are so many things I wish I knew ahead of time and there are so many things I wish I did differently, but rather than continuing to reminisce  over past times I am making the changes now.

“I can’t keep telling myself that I am going to get out of debt,
yet all my actions point to me carelessly spending the money I do have.”

— Keshna Donia

I need to commit to getting out of debt by being wiser in my spending habits - and to do that I have to say no to the little things that add up.

I am learning how to invest, save, pay down my debt and have the courage to say no to the things I simply cannot afford. 

In the past two months, I was approached by a few people to design a logo. There are several reasons I turned down the requests that came my way. 

The Reasons of Why I recently Said No

1. I am still in the early stages of hand lettering. I have yet to explore varying styles and I am in the process of building my work and my portfolio, I want to be sure that I am the right person for my future clients. 
2. I am building credibility. By writing and documenting my process, my future clients and collaboration partners will know what to expect from me. 
3. Saying no allows for the time I need to keep practicing. When I say yes to something I want to commit to it whole-heartedly. I want my yes to hold weight and meaning. 
4. I want to be sure that I am saying yes to the right client.

Consider this:

No is a complete sentence. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Know your values, and be sure they are uncompromising. When saying no, the other person may not feel your reasons are justified - especially when you offer up an explanation. 

Work on consciously saying NO. 

Never say maybe when you want to say no. You'll mislead others and give them a false sense of hope. Learn to say no when you mean no and say yes when you mean yes. 

Remember your goals!

I can't stress this enough. I entered youngyetwise roth ira challenge for 2016. I also have my goals for my design studio, and simply being debt free. When I was working for a bank, I shared my goal of wanting to be debt free. Out of a branch of about 13 women (myself included) there were only about 3 people that believed me when I said I wanted and will be debt free. They believed that debt is inevitable, unavoidable, and a part of life. I believe that debt happens because we aren't educated on finances and the way money works. I made a mindset change a long time ago. Now I am taking the steps necessary to reach that goal.

Why We Say Yes

We say yes because have a sense of obligation, we owe someone. Sometimes we feel indebted to someone because of what they've done for us. Saying no comes off as being mean and you don't want to disappoint people. 

Ask Yourself This Question:

“Do you want to disappoint other people or do you want to disappoint the future version of yourself? Either way you’ll disappoint someone. ”

— Sean McCabe

Say no to the wrong clients.

Say no to the wrong ideas.

Say no to the wrong opportunities.

Say no to the wrong circumstances - even if they are willing to pay you money. By saying yes you give up that time.

By saying no to these things you'll make room to say yes to the right things like trips, conferences, spending time with your loved ones and saying yes to the right clients.

Analyze By Asking These Questions:

Is this working?

Is the way the relationship set up and

is the amount I'm getting paid worth it?

Is the process the way I want it to work? If not, is there room to make that relationship an ideal?

Ask yourself:

• Am I spending enough time to be healthy as a person (physically, mentally, spiritually)?
• Am I giving myself enough margin?
• Am I spending enough time with my family, spouse, kids?

Other people won't be aware of where you want to go and what your goals are. You have to know when to say, "No Thank you".

Why You Say No: 

It's your tool for creating time. 

It gives you credits for being able to say yes. 

We say no to make room to say yes to the things that are important. 

What To Say Yes To 

The takeaway from this is not just why to say no or how to say no, it’s about setting up your ability to say yes. Start with the important things first and then work backwards:

• What do you want to say yes to?
• What are the things you can’t say yes to right now that you want to say yes to?
• What do you need to say no to first in order to enable to your yes?
• How much do you care about the quality of your yes?

I suggest taking the time out and answering these questions honestly for yourself. Choose one thing to focus on, learn to say no to the things that are eating up your time. Get rid of the time wasters so you can say yes to the important things.

What are you saying, "NO" to this week? 

A Commitment To Show Up - Everyday

"I might be there.” Such uncertainty when you hear that someone might show up. 

Showing up everyday is a challenge, especially when you are trying to build something larger than yourself. I've been using the overlap technique - working a day job and practicing hand lettering in the evenings - in hopes that someday I can run my own design studio. The day job pays my bills and whatever I have extra I put towards savings or I invest in my tools, building my blog, and website. Basically, bootstrapping to build the business. 

One thing I've committed to doing each morning are daily devotions. Every morning between 6:15 am - 6:30 I call two of my girlfriends and we read and pray in the morning. It didn't always start with me making the first call - but somewhere it switched. I became the person to call first thing in the mornings, and I continue to upkeep the first call - because my friends are depending on me. 

However, it is so difficult for me to stay committed to exercising and eating healthy foods. At my day job we order out anywhere from two to three times a week. I keep telling myself that I want to be an example for my sister and mother, that when they see my healthy results they'll start to make the necessary changes in their life too. While I did well for seven months,  this past month has been a challenge to step foot back into the gym. I don't feel motivated and I've lost the momentum that I had when I first started.  

Know that commitment is hard - and even more so when you choose to do it in public. I often wonder what would it look like to fully commit - to everything I put myself to. To give 110% and to go all in.

We are afraid of commitment because we think,

"I may be missing out on something else that's happening.

I'm too tired or I don't feel like it.

Something else may come up.

What If I don't have anything to say?"

People believe that those who show up consistently have some sort of magic power or inherent ability. “It must come easy for him," they say. “For others like me it’s hard”.

Here’s a reality check: it’s not easy for anyone—even the people that make it look easy - to show up everyday. In fact, if someone is making it look easy, they're probably working harder.

Why is it so hard to commit? 

We spend too much time thinking about it rather than just taking the action. It has to become something you do. Remove the option of choice. 

Every morning you wake up you brush your teeth, shower, and eat - these are not choices they are a matter of survival and there is no option as to if you will do it. 

You have to eliminate the power of choice. 

Here’s how to strengthen the power of commitment. There are three parts  - and if you are wondering why? A cord of three strands is not easily broken - Ecclesiastes 4:12

1. Partner Accountability. Your word is bond. This is arguably the strongest form of accountability. This is a great way of keeping yourself on track. Here’s an example; If my friend needs a ride and they tell me to be at their house at 5:00am I know that they should expect me at 4:45am. I want them to know that I am reliable and they can depend on me. There is an incentive to show up because I don’t want to disappoint my friend. No good friend would leave you hanging out in the cold at 5:00am.

2. Public Accountability - I've made a public commitment to have a post to the blog every Wednesday. The one post in July 2015 that I missed was because I didn't prepare in advance. I have since gotten back on track, and rearranged my priorities. My reputation is on the line, so if It happens again I am sure someone will call me out. 

3. Personal Accountability - Though we are willing to please other people, it is easy to willingly disappoint ourselves. We need to learn to take better care of ourselves. How can we do what’s best for others if we are not in the best shape for ourselves? Its important to hold ourselves to a higher regard and to simply show ourselves some respect. 

Remember - Be sure to implement all three forms of accountability. 

Last week I decided to commit to lettering one piece each day on instagram. I want to increase my following and I want to build my hand lettering skills. Getting better at hand lettering requires me to show up everyday. As for my health and fitness goals, I am recommitting to bettering my health. I’ve already began posting my food to myfitnesspal and I decided to go to the gym after finishing this post. You can check myfitnesspal to see if I actually completed my activity. I've decided to make eating healthier a thing that I do. I've decided to incorporate it into my lifestyle.  

What are you committing to?