Forty-four and Still Learning | Newsletter
One year ago, I hosted my first calligraphy retreat in Australia (which feels like decades ago by now!). Sharing the Labour Day long weekend with nine other creative women was educational, joyful and truly empowering. Right after that, blurry memories for a while.
Mid March, April and May in lockdown felt like an unplanned holiday: Resting, staring at my empty inbox, creating personal work and enjoying the simplicity of going back to basics.
June became a new normal, were I felt grateful for everything I used to take for granted.
Then July started and the dark ages began. I studied on my own. Then, I studied with four other artists. I went inwards for a very long time and didn’t like what I found. I asked for help. I wrote about finding your inner compass. I questioned my freelance career and my choices. I pushed through and felt unconditionally supported and loved.
I am a privilege woman with an immigrant heart who lives in a very fortunate country. I show my face and use my voice because I believe education, equality and representation matters:
Respect women by listening to their needs, and act accordingly. Support women by creating safe and respectful environments for them to thrive. Recruit women and compensate them equally. Promote women to leadership positions. Invest in women and in their businesses. Champion women by giving them a platform to be heard.
This month of March marks one year since the beginning of the Pandemic. I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning.
Below you’ll find a list of resources that are helping me to improve and up-skill myself in life, as well as in my creative career.
Much love, Maria xx
Little Ruin Adevnture Game
I’m really proud to be collaborating with Lucernal’s creative director Mark Fenollar, the lead artist on this beautifully-crafted project, one of ten games that recently shared funding through Film Victoria’s Assigned Production Investment (API) – Games program.
A narrative-driven adventure game, Little Ruin is set in a stunning, crumbling art nouveau world of moral ambiguity. The story casts the player in the role of a 13-year-old girl named Isobel who is entangled in the machinations of a colonial civil war.
Game identity coming up soon!
Charlie’s at Woolworth Australia
Charlie’s Fine Food Co. are celebrating the launch of their new Mini Cheese Bites at Woolworth Australia wide.
I’m really happy to find this product range as well as the new Charlie’s logo across every Woolies in the country, go and try them out!
In-Person Calligraphy workshops
These are my next in-person calligraphy workshops at Rotson Studios in Melbourne.
Introduction to Copperplate calligraphy
Saturday April 17
Saturday May 15
Introduction to Italic calligraphy
Saturday May 1
Brush calligraphy weekend
Saturday May 22 & 29
Live Online Calligraphy Courses
My live online calligraphy courses run in a webinar format via Zoom. I record each session and you are able to review the videos later on, and for those of you living in a different time zone.
Live online Intro to Copperplate calligraphy
Sundays 11, 18, 25 April and 2 May
From 9.30am to 11.30am, AEDT / GMT+11
Live online Intro to Neuland calligraphy
Sundays 16, 23 and 30 May 2021
From 9.30am to 11.30am, AEDT / GMT+11
Women and Super — Closing the pay gap
This is a free educational webinar recording called “Women and Super – Simple steps for every woman to make the most of her super” hosted by Hostplus Australia.
The Dark Art of Pricing | Basics and Beyond
“Pricing creative work can be mystifying—but fear not! I have created a new framework for pricing that is sane, logical, and humane—it takes into account your specific financial realities and helps establish pricing standards that are unique to your business and can be used to model all of your creative work price quotes.” by Jessica Hische.
Watch the full 2-hour recording of Jessica’s original live zoom seminar here.
Type Design Coaching
Troy Leinster is currently offering a weekly one-on-one type design coaching.
Best suited for:
• Graduate type design students with a typeface to finish
• Type designers needing a second set of eyes
• Independent Graphic Designers dabbling in type design
Call for Women Mentors & Mentees
Have you ever thought of becoming a mentor with the Alphabettes Mentorship Program? In my personal experience, helping others to flourish is one of the most rewarding things you can do for our creative community.
Plus, the Alphabettes program will open for new mentees from March 21st for two weeks only, run!
The Creative Pro
I have started this online self-pased course called “The Creative Pro” by Jim Antonopoulos which includes 28 videos and 20 downloadable files touching important points such as “how do I find clients that align with my values?”.
This course aims to help freelancers level up their professionalism, develop a foundation for meaningful work, and find the right clients.
On my next email newsletter, I’ll write a review about my experience completing this course.