The Writing Artform

I recently ordered a nib holder and a set of five calligraphy nibs and yesterday, they came!  I hopped up and started trying them out straight away.  The nib slots into the end of the nib holder and is fastened in tight when you pull down a little lever.  Then a dip into an ink pot of Speedball's Super Black India Ink and then off I went. 

I never imagined what it would sound like to use a real paper-thin silver writing nib.  I suppose I never really imagined that it would sound like anything in particular.  It is remarkably scratchy.  Think of a really rough, scratchy pencil and then make the sound shriller and more metallic.  It sounds something like that.  

I've been enjoying the experimentation of line.  Tilting more this side or another, pressing harder, hardly pressing at all, to create different thicknesses.  When I was waiting for my items to come, I was so excited by the possibilities... the Idea of writing with a real ink pen.  Yes, back to that idea of loving the Idea of things.  

I was excited by the thought that it would open up new oppertunities for my writing.  That through the process of writing more slowly and thoughtfully, in fact, artfully, I would be able to get in touch with a new side of my writing.  So far, I'm not too sure whether that will ever happen, but at least I can enjoy learning a new artform.