EPISODE 186 - The Calligraphy Elitism Debate (old vs. new, traditional v. modern, standards v. openness)

Shinah Chang ·

🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts

Is Calligraphy suffering from a dilution of standards?

There’s been a dark divide whispered in the calligraphy community for years. 

This summer, a single Instagram post brought it into the light. And I have thoughts.

The post argued that calligraphy is "suffering" - that the rapid popularization of calligraphy has led to aesthetics over discipline, too much commercialization, and a dilution of standards. It got 400+ comments, divided the community, and made a lot of beginners feel like they'd never be good enough.

I posted a response Reel,  but now I'm doing a deeper analysis.

In this episode:

  • Summary of the original post - what it actually said, why it resonated with some calligraphers, and why it landed so badly for so many others

  • Is Calligraphy really suffering? It’s more popular than ever. But is there too much of the "wrong kind"?

  • The Legitimate Concerns - about people mis-representing their skills during the hiring process and what we calligraphers can do about that.

  • The Human Fear and Selfishness Underneath - the quiet part that everyone’s afraid to say out loud, but that would lead to a more honest conversation and actual solutions 

And finally, why it’s so important to me that calligraphy can be fun AND serious, welcoming AND disciplined, easily accessible and deep, all at the same time

This is one of the most nuanced, invigorating debates I've had in this space and I’m so thankful we get to have it in this wonderful, respectful community, with brave people starting the conversation. 

READ THE ORIGINAL POST HERE: https://www.instagram.com/p/DY7GWSlDFAM/?img_index=2

MY RESPONSE REEL HERE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZGB9GVvnzT/

FREE WORKSHOP:

ABOUT CROOKED CALLIGRAPHY

Hey - I'm Shinah! A former miserable corporate lawyer turned sassy calligrapher and teacher. Ten years ago, I was WISHING I could create beautiful calligraphy but feeling really un-creative and LOST about how to achieve that... and now I truly believe that ANYONE can learn this beautiful craft - because I've already taught it to THOUSANDS of people, from all different backgrounds.

Calligraphy has given me a gorgeous life. It's helped my students find PASSION, PURPOSE, and a reason to JUMP OUT OF BED each morning. What could it do for you? =)