I’m all about creativity and learning new skills this year. Having said that, I also want to inspire or share what I know to others. So early this year, I started the advocacy to live creatively everyday {hopefully, by doing so, people will be inspired to do the same thing} and by holding workshops either with me or I collaborate with another artist/crafter {for others to learn a new skill as well}. 

Late last year, I was invited by Kate to do a workshop for Caffe Firenzo, GenSan. They wanted me to do a basic modern calligraphy. This made me a bit nervous because, dip pen calligraphy is not my first choice of weapon in terms of writing. But I practiced everyday just like what I did when I had a brush lettering workshop for CBTL. Seriously, that phrase “practice every” was not popular for nothing. It truly does work.

And so, last January 23, I had my very first workshop for calligraphy in GenSan. It’s a 3-hour drive from Davao.

I normally have a routine whenever I have a workshop. I need to be there 3-4 hours before the workshop just so to feel the place and enough time to check the place and prepare whatever is needed and do some drills.

After I was done putting all the kits, I checked and took photos of the place. I haven’t been to Caffe Firenzo for quite sometime now and I was really loving their new interiors.

Since, I wanted to push the workshops from now on, I thought, it would be nice to add branding in all of my kits. When it comes to packaging, I can be a little dramatic. It has to be in a box or envelope and everything must have labels. Here’s the kit for calligraphy workshop: Pen holder, G Nib, Sumi ink, calligraphy paper, envelope template and stationeries.

While everybody was busy doing their drills, I was busy taking pictures of them and reminding them to breathe.

Most of them find it hard at first but got the hang of it in the end of the workshop. That truly made me happy…

Us and their work after the workshop…

I want to say thank you to Kate {most left} and Caffe Firenzo for inviting me to do a workshop in your cafe. Thank you Sun City Suites for accommodating me. And of course, to those who attended, let me just say… I’m proud of you for trying out a new skill. I hope to see you again in my other workshops.

Last but not the least, to my ever supportive boyfriend, Wacky. Thank you very much, my love. He drove 3-hours in the middle of the night going to GenSan for me, even though he had a gig on that same weekend. He drove that long after his 2-hour set in the club. Then the other way around the next; he drove 3-hours going back to Davao and went straight to the club. I don’t know where he’s getting his energy, but let’s just say it’s l-o-v-e, hahaha. If you’re reading this, pretty sure you’re raising your eyebrow. Seriously though, thank you so much babe.

There goes the first workshop of the year. Had a couple more before January ended, which I’ll post soon. And a lot more for the entire year.

Speaking of which, I have a watercolor workshop with Jad on March 23. Hope you can join us.