It’s Not Talent. It’s Practice….
(and Persistence and... Penjoyment?) Yes, I know Penjoyment is not a word, but I wanted that alliteration! Read on to find out what the heck I’m talking about.
Today’s lettering tip isn’t so much a tutorial—it’s more like some words of advice.
I get this comment a lot:
“You’re so talented at lettering!”
And while I always appreciate the kindness behind it, I also want to shout from the rooftops: It’s not talent. It’s practice.
A lot of practice.
Like, years of it. Like, “here’s some of my old work so we can cringe together” levels of practice.
These are all the journals I practiced in, starting way back in 2019. And it’s not including all the loose leaf papers I lettered on or all the digital lettering I’ve been doing on the iPad this past year. So yah, a lot of practice. I’ll be peppering this blog post with some of my old pieces; prepare yourself!
2019
This is my first ever attempt at a lettering composition in 2019 (not including brush calligraphy since I had been learning and practicing that prior to lettering). It’s simple … and it’s honestly not that great. But it was a starting point!
The Real Answer to “How Do I Get Better at Lettering?”
Another question I get often is: “How do I get better at lettering?”
And the answer no one wants to hear: Practice. (Ugh, I know.)
But also—perseverance and persistence. And my personal favorite: penjoyment.
What the heck is (p)enjoyment?
How many of us, when we start something new, set a mental bar or picture—and if we don’t reach it quickly (let’s be honest, immediately), we walk away feeling like failures? Definitely me.
I’ve been guilty of thinking, “Well, guess I’m just not good at this,” and giving up too soon. But the only reason I’ve gotten halfway decent at lettering is because I genuinely enjoyed the process of learning. That enjoyment kept me picking up the pen/pencil/brush pen again (and again… and again) and persevered even when my lettering looked like poop or I wasn’t in the mood for doing anything creative.
If you don’t enjoy the process, it becomes so much easier to quit. And if you quit, your lettering won’t get better—no matter how much “talent” you think you have or don’t have.
Late 2019
Looking back at this today, I realize I was way more adventurous back then in my lettering. I did all sorts of styles that I no longer do. Does it look great? Not really, but again, it’s part of the learning process. I can look back at my work and learn from it.
Definitely would never do “The” that way again, but I might try that “morning” style again.
Let’s Talk About Muscle Memory
Lettering is so much about muscle memory—especially if you’re working with brush pens or pointed pen calligraphy.
When I take long breaks from calligraphy, I get rusty. My strokes feel off, and my spacing looks weird. But with a little warm-up, my hand (and brain) starts to remember the flow again. That’s the beauty of consistent practice. Your hand knows what to do, even when your brain’s still sipping coffee.
Plus, that muscle memory helps me whenever I include script or flourishes in my compositions. It’s like riding a bike... but for your hand.
And it’s the same for doing block letters or bubble letters - you can draw straight(ish) lines without rulers if you practice enough. So, not only is practice good for you to learn and develop new styles, it also makes your letters look cleaner and more consistent through the development of muscle memory.
Script Practice
This was pre-letteirng, but when I was learning calligraphy, the amount of pages I filled with random words, or words from whatever show I was watching at the time, was a lot.
And you know what kept me going with all this practicing? The fact that it was so enjoyable and such a great stress relief. There’s something about breathing in and out while my strokes go up and down that sent me into a meditative state. I didn’t care if it looked great, I was just trying to get that muscle memory down. Down stroke heavy, up stroke light, down stroke heavy, up stroke light.
So What’s the Big Advice?
Keep going. Not because you’re “naturally talented.” But because you enjoy it.
Don’t compare your Day 3 to someone else’s Year 5. And don’t be afraid to make weird, messy, off-balance lettering. That’s where the growth happens.
If you're still wondering how to improve your lettering:
Practice regularly (even short sessions count!). I did two years straight of lettering almost everyday. Some days were long sessions, other days were a short 15 minute session. Every little bit helps.
Focus on enjoying the process. It’s all about the journey, not the destination. Especially in the beginning.
Forgive yourself when things look wonky. It’s ok! You’re exploring and learning!
Celebrate your progress—especially the cringey old stuff. When I flip through my old journals, I always feel a huge sense of accomplishment. Look at how far I’ve come, and all those days, years, months of practice was not for nothing.
Until then—keep showing up, keep lettering, and keep finding joy in the process.
Oh, and one final piece of advice, label your journals by month/year so you can see just how far practice (and penjoyment!) can take you in chronological order. I definitely had some difficulty remembering which journal was from what year. Heh.
Have questions about how to start or what to practice?
Drop a comment or shoot me a message—I’d love to help you find your flow.
Here are a few more lettering pieces through the years!
