Calligraphy Q&A with Younghae Chung

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." William Woodsworth

Sharing the beauty of calligraphy...

We had the most inspiring conversation with a beautiful mama calligrapher a few days ago, and if you missed it, there are so many gold nuggets you'll be delighted to find sprinkled throughout. This is Part One, where we get to know Younghae. Stay tuned for Part Two, where we dive into what she does, tips for lefties, favorite nibs and why, flourishing, and more.

"Calligraphy is a gift you get to experience as well as pass on". Those are the exact words spoken by Younghae Chung of Logos Calligraphy during our live Q & A session with her on Friday, May 26th.  From the start of her journey to publishing her first book, Younghae chatted with Heather McKelvey and turned the pages of her journey from anxious mama to becoming a fearless flourishing artist!

Enter the world of Kalli Camp Academy, a community to learn, flourish, and grow in the art of calligraphy. We aim to make it possible for artists at every skill level and culture to grow in their craft and connect with others on a deeper level through true friendships centered around shared passions. We also aim to support each other and help grow our small businesses as a result of this collaborative endeavor.

Younghae's Story

Younghae is the left-handed calligrapher behind Logos Calligraphy and Design, a business she started nine years ago. She is a creative entrepreneur, calligrapher, published author, and instructor who resides in southern California. She's also a mama of three boys and married to a supportive husband who has encouraged her journey as a calligrapher. Her soft spoken manner and encouraging words as a teacher are some of the reasons we wanted to share this conversation with our KCA community. 

Why are we inspired by Younghae?

Younghae is such a light to the calligraphy community in so many ways - as a teacher, author, product developer, and mama artist, her humble beginnings to where she is now is such a testament to the power of determination. After learning calligraphy and having a desire to teach others, the first product she designed was a Copperplate practice pad. Younghae finds that she tends to create out of her own needs and what she wished she would've had starting out. It's important for her to create products that can be used for years to come, such as the vegan leather writing blotter mat. She inspires others to learn through aesthetic - the beauty of writing as well as beautiful presentation.

She has overcome many obstacles to be the business owner she is now, yet she always gives credit to who she learned from and proudly shares her "beauty from ashes" story in such a way that lights the way for others following her path. Growing up in Queens, she then moved and went to school in Boston. Her first calligraphy class was in college where she learned Italic hand. She describes calligraphy as "joy-giving and therapeutic", something we wholeheartedly agree with.

It wasn't until 2014 that Younghae returned back to calligraphy during a season of her life where she felt scared and hopeless. Remembering how much she enjoyed calligraphy in college, Younghae sought out a class after her family moved to Orlando, Florida on a temporary assignment. She met Kaye Hannah of IAMPETH, who encouraged her to attend conferences and instilled the value of learning properly. Attending in-person weekend workshops and practicing diligently made a huge difference.

Overall, she attributes calligraphy to keeping her grounded during uncertain times.  In case you are experiencing obstacles of your own - whether physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally - it is our hope to provide a way to surround you with a community of artists and teach you in ways that will awaken the creative senses that will transcend your circumstances while providing a sense of calm. That's just what Younghae did through calligraphy. Despite having a child with health issues, problems in her marriage, and being far away from family and culture, Younghae found comfort in writing encouraging words and Scripture. Younghae shared that she may not have pursued calligraphy or have the business she has today if she hadn't gone through such a hard season.  

How to balance family, obstacles, and business 

Younghae's story has so many plot twists (much like each of us, right?) and we're grateful that she was willing to share some of the ups and downs with us. Through life experiences, she's learned that tough times don't last and that practicing calligraphy helped to fuel her sense of determination. When you can relate to someone because they not only share the good, but the disappointments as well, it gives you a reason to keep reading until the end. This is how we know you'll love watching the replay of this heartfelt conversation.

We hope you've enjoyed this part of our conversation with Younghae. Stay tuned as next time we learn some practical tips from Younghae and find more ways to pour into your artist soul.

Until next time, stay creative!

Written by Angenise Rawls, Independent Marketing Assistant and Special Projects Coordinator

Calligraphy Artisan at The Graceful Pen Studio | Instagram: @thegracefulpenstudio | www.thegracefulpenstudio.com