Last weekend I went to the Cocktails & Calligraphy workshop hosted by Inkpact. The company was founded by Charlotte Pearce in 2013 and offers a unique handwritten communication service. Inkpact create a personal connection between company and client, their handwritten letters are delivered direct to your client in beautiful handwritten envelopes. Emails and phone messaging are the main communication method these days, receiving a handwritten note or message is unexpected and much more personal.
Natalie Samuelson, a creative friend of Inkpact, also specialises in Modern Calligraphy. Natalie and the Inkpact team wanted to share their skills and bring back the art of handwriting through Calligraphy.
This was the first workshop that Inkpact had hosted, and the location, setup and ambience was fantastic. Inkpact who are working on an exciting new collaboration with quirky coffee chain Grind, held the first workshop at the Clerkenwell branch. Clerkenwell Grind, located in an old warehouse was the perfect setting, offering delicious, and very reasonably priced cocktails. The quirky event space had been laid out in a classroom style, but also gave you the ability to interact with others. I noticed that some people had come in groups or with a friend, I went on my lonesome but felt very much involved with the whole crowd throughout the afternoon.
Natalie kicked the workshop off by explaining how she got into Modern Calligraphy and her passion for the handwritten art. Natalie took us through the different Calligraphy styles and materials, then moved on to demonstrate the beginner’s basics.
As someone who had never really done this before, the whole Calligraphy process was explained so easily I picked up the pen, inserted the nib and away I went. Here I encountered my first problem, I was left handed. Natalie did come over and explain I may struggle slightly with certain letters and fonts to begin with, however the main key is to practice and develop your own style. The style I seemed to create during the first hour was ‘smudging’. I smudged everything, I had ink everywhere! I looked around to see if anyone else was having the same issue and noticed how clean everyone looked. Yes, I spied the odd smudged finger, but I was getting it on the table, myself, and all over the paper. By the second hour I had managed to tilt my paper in a way that minimised smudging. Hurrah.
Everyone was given their own Calligraphy starter kit which included Calligraphy worksheets, ultra-smooth practice paper, wooden pen holder, ink and a Nikki G nib. The worksheets were great and included examples of lowercase and capital letters, the other sheets included Calligraphy flourishes for when you got a little more confident.
Occasionally I would be nosey and peek around to see how everyone else was getting on. A few people I noticed were obviously experienced and had done this before. However, many were starting out for the first time and there was no intimidation or pressure. It just gave you the reassurance and confidence that with practice, you can get there.
The cost of the workshop was £43 which included a complimentary cocktail and your Calligraphy starter kit. I think for the unique and fun experience the cost is great, the whole workshop was incredibly informative. The workshop gave you the ability to interact with creative people and learn a new skill. A few days after the workshop, Natalie sent a lovely follow up email explaining where we can buy all the Calligraphy materials so that you can keep practicing.
Of course the whole event was a huge success, if you fancy a fun afternoon of learning and meeting new friends register here to keep updated on upcoming events. I went solo but you can go with a friend, or in a group. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Thank you Natalie, and the Inkpact team. I hope to see you all again very soon!
