Linda Yoshida’s approach to calligraphy is rather humble. Though a prominent calligrapher (with an impressive following on Instagram), Yoshida considers herself a perpetual student, as she strives to perfect her work. “Calligraphy is a life-long learning experience,” she observed in an interview with The Pen Company.
“We need to be constantly learning and honing our skills in order for calligraphy to stay relevant, and to keep up with the changing times and client requests. I firmly believe that to be a good calligrapher, we need to study from the old masters.”
Yoshida practices what she preaches to a great extent. A member of the Society for Calligraphy guild in Southern California, and volunteer as the Lead Graphic Designer for the guild’s Calligraph journal, she has studied with master calligraphers, and to this day attends many classes and workshops in order to improve her skills.
But her love of what she calls “beautiful writing” sparked much earlier in life. Yoshida recalls being exposed to calligraphy as early as sixth grade: “My teacher had the most beautiful handwriting and taught us basic Italic Hand,” she shared. “I was so inspired by her that I would sit at my desk after finishing my homework and practice my cursive over and over.”
Since then, she has continued her affair with letterforms by studying graphic design and typography, then working as a web designer and graphic designer. Working as a graphic designer during the day, she treats calligraphy is her side job, but one she takes very seriously. Her blog and accompanying social media pages document her never-ending learning process. You’d want to join her on her quest.
