I started taking Arabic calligraphy classes a few weeks ago. Calligraphy is a long-time fascination of mine, which, for a lover of words, art and writing, makes total sense!
I would learn to draw some letters from one particular script during the class, have them reviewed by the teacher, and try again until it is good enough to move on to the next. Sometimes, the 1-hour class would only allow me to learn 3 letters. Not even linking them together. Not even exploring other scripts. I got a bit frustrated, since I wanted to start writing proper words already.
I asked my teacher:
– What can I do to speed up the process?
He looked at me with surprise and said:
– It takes time to master the letters. You’ll see progress when you are able to learn and practice more letters during the class.
That was not the answer I wanted to hear. I expected an increased dose of homework and sweat to solve it all. As I was discussing this with my classmate over dinner, she told me: “You need exposure to calligraphy works, so as to train your eye to recognise the letters and reproduce them well.”
This made me realise that our society of immediate fixes and instant answers made me behave like an impatient child. If I want it, I can have it NOW! Automatic translation, the other side of the world just a phone call away, or ChatGPT writing a thesis in the blink of an eye.
But do we really value what we get instantly? Do we integrate it in our brains, our hands, our lives? What memories are linked to an instantly produced work, house, or even, relationship?
Effort over time, or sustained effort. This is what I need, to develop this new skill. And to learn to enjoy my beginner’s steps and see them as part of the bigger picture, a source of fond memories, which eventually will lead to a beautiful composition, inshallah.