Celebrating Ten | Newsletter
My first newsletter of the year comes with a couple of big announcements. The first one is that I’m CELEBRATING 10 years as an independent creative business of one!! That also means, I’ve been writing to you six times a year for the last decade, holy shit!
The truth is that after a decade on my own, I have more questions than answers. I look back and see a very interesting journey full of hope, creativity, challenges, love, setbacks, joy, and frustration.
Here are 10 things I know about myself so far:
1) I’m both a student and a teacher.
2) My best way of learning is by teaching others.
3) We are all beginners on Earth School, no matter how many decades you have been around. It is the hardest of the schools, and no one ever becomes a master.
4) Perfectionism is an old toxic friend of mine often hanging around, reminding me that nothing is ever enough. I push it away, Perfectionism pushes back. It is a long battle, and I’m very much working on it.
5) Confidence increases or decreases depending on the number of successful (say your activity) achieved. It’s a muscle that you need to exercise regularly, otherwise, it becomes sore. Confidence’s best friend is called repetition.
6) Self-esteem on the other hand, doesn’t depend on external achievements, merits, right or wrong doings. Self-esteem —or unconditional self-love— does not care about your wins or your losses. It’s above all that, same as its counterparts self-judgment and self-aversion. These three mates are the only constants above change: Always there no matter what; always available within you. So which one do you want to be hanging out with?
7) Courage’s best friend is called fear. One cannot operate without the other, so I have chosen to befriend both of them.
8) After twenty-three years since I graduated from uni, I’m still in love with creativity and letterforms.
9) My voice matters. I accept the responsibility to open up and tell my story, hoping it will help others to see themselves reflected in my journey, and to be proud of who they are.
10) I know your voice matters too.
Welcome to Substack! See you later Mailchimp
After ten years of partnership with Mailchimp, I have migrated to Substack. I want to give this platform a try for a while. In early 2022, I started to flirt with the idea of writing a book. I haven’t formalised my thoughts yet, but this platform feels right to me, and I feel more aligned to my writing curiosity.
Free Love: Blank Calligraphy Guidelines
If you subscribed to my mailing list between Nov and Dec 2023, you may have accidentally got lost in translation! Here is the freebie you were looking for.
Thank You 🖤
Again, a huge thank you to all of you who have been following, supporting, commenting and replying to my letters and social media activity for the past ten years, your support means a lot to me.
Once I get more familiarised with Substack, I’ll be creating additional ways to get in touch and offer as much value as I possible can.
In the meantime, sending you peace, joy and my best creative juices for 2024.
Much love, Maria xx
Below, you’ll find my first calligraphy course of the year; an upcoming event called “Typism Summit 2024” which I’m part of; an editorial design about Ted Lasso; and my contribution to the first edition of the Yearbook of Type.
On the last section of this newsletter, you’ll find for the first time three resources which are NOT type related per se. This is my 10th Anniversary, so I’m taking the liberty of celebrating it as I want!
Typism Summit 2024
Registration is officially OPEN for the Typism Summit 2024! A free three-day event to help you level up your lettering with 23 incredible speakers with topics ranging from 3D lettering, Procreate, calligraphy, layout, and everything in between.
The Summit kicks off on January 24/25, and it’s going to be three action-packed days that you won’t want to miss. Click this link to learn more and get your free ticket.
I’m honoured to be a part of this global online event with a 20-min writing demo called “Principles of Script Lettering”. You can download my workbook for free using the coupon code TYPISM24. Here is an additional PDF file with the materials needed to get ready and join me on Day 1!
Intro to Foundational Hand (L1)
________DATESFebruary 3, 10, 17, 24___________________COURSE SUMMARY— 2h x 4 Saturdays via Zoom— For beginner and intermediate students— No calligraphy experience required (L1)— Videos available to watch for 2 months— Every lesson is recorded and uploaded 3 hours after each class__________________________INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE— Modern Carolingian lowercase (minuscules)— Broad-pen Roman Capitals— Visual material list supplied— Personal class notes provided— Exemplars sent in advance— Q&A session after each class— Weekly suggested homework
Humanity is Life! | Ted Lasso Editorial
Editorial design for “Humanity is Life! Seven Creatively Uplifting Moments in Ted Lasso” by Nate Burgos from Design Feast.The briefing behind the main editorial image was to create an extension of the graphic elements featured in this acclaimed TV show, including the colour palette: Blue, red, green, yellow paper, Posca markers, black tape, and a strong sense of physicality.Art director and writer: Nate BurgosClient: Design Feast (US)Streaming service: Apple TV+
The Yearbook of Lettering
The day before I left Barcelona, I received in the mail the first edition of The Yearbook of Lettering by Slanted Publishers featuring work from 134 artists from 35 countries.My contribution to this first edition is the lettering design I did for Tokyo-based artist Nina Utashiro called “Operetta Hysteria”. Here you can see its merch application which you can purchase from Nina’s online store.
B O O K R E S O U R C E S
Read this to get smarter by Blair Imani
I have recently finished Read this to get smarter by Blair Imani. This book about race, class, gender and disability is more relevant than ever. I had already posted about it when it first came out, but for the last two years society has only become more divided, making kindness and respect a rare human quality to have.
When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà
Canto jo i la muntanya balla by Irene Solà is the best novel I have read in 2023. It is a Catalan story about love, family, war, magic and nature. I don’t want to give anything else away, so if you want to delight yourself, here is the English version. Please, let me know if you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I’m giving Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert a second read, and it feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s light, funny, and at the same time has made me deeply reflect on my relationship with creativity. The next ones on my list are The Artist Way and The Creative Act: A way of Being. Have you read any of them?