“… and they lived happily ever after” is a quaint storybook ending, but dwelling on it at some length, I realized it has a germ of truth. Or, rather, it holds up a mirror to a reality that will actually exist.
Christians believe in a coming kingdom where Christ will rule in righteousness, and all evil and suffering will have been removed. Sin and death will be no more. All sorrow and sighing will pass away with the tears He wipes from our eyes.
And they lived happily ever after.
How many of us have practiced our calligraphy projects with handouts from our classes, some with quotes by calligraphers, some nature quotes, and others from thoughtful philosophers.
Many of them seem overly sentimental, of wishful thinking, or contain tired platitudes. But such quotes open a window onto what could be, and lend wings to our sagging hope. There will be a happily ever after, and these hope-filled quotes will be fully formed in the blossoming age to come.
Choose your quotes with care. Find a calligraphic setting in which they shine, and set free the spirit behind them.
The world has had enough of tired cliches. People are jaded and cynical. The government has let them down. Technology has made life harder, not more efficient (excessive junk emails and website popups, anyone?) The news of the world is not making us more confident.
We don’t need anything original or clever. We want the old truths to be fresh again. We want to be reminded of why we embarked on this life in the first place.
The same-old-same-old can get tiring with repetition. Look at those quotes with fresh eyes. Consider each word. Ponder the message anew. Research its original context to find out what the author intended to communicate. It may have striking relevance to our trying times.
Perhaps what you’ve written years ago in your early art period can be brought to life with the new styles and techniques you’ve learned further down the road. But more than technique, it must come from the heart aflame with the message, and inked with the practiced ease of a sure hand.
