1 Sealed Letter

How do you bring all 5 senses to the experience of letter writing and reading? Listen to this informal episode for some of my favorite tips. 💌

On this episode, we learn from Jessica Frandson and Jill King, cofounders of CAMPO Beauty, a 100% Natural aromatherapy brand, which uses only the highest quality luxury beauty oils. We discuss how to use essential oils in letter writing, particularly for the ceremony and scenting of letters.⁣

⁣

CAMPOBEAUTY.com⁣

@CAMPOBeauty (Instagram)

In this episode I read the second letter in the Rilke series of Letters to a Young Artist. It’s a short letter and a relatively short letter.

Learn from handwriting analyst, Elaine Charal, who specializes in graphology (the study of handwriting). ✍️ She shares about what our handwriting can reveal about us, and how we can rewire our brains through handwriting practice.

Have Elaine analyze your handwriting here:

https://www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com/profile.html

In this episode, I share my advice on writing letters to the future, including: letters to yourself, letters to a loved one and time capsule letters. I also reference this pen: Sakura Black Pigma Micron Pen

Genealogy helps us understand the voices of epistolary history and the missing voices too.

Kenyatta D Berry is a professional genealogist, attorney, author, lecturer and TV host. She has extensive knowledge of African American Genealogy and enslaved ancestral research. Her book, The Family Tree Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncovering Your Ancestry and Researching Genealogy, is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about their genealogy. It’s a wonderful resource guide and also provides helpful steps for how to get started.

Kenyatta is a host on PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow, where I first saw her. She’s a contributor to The New York Time’s groundbreaking “1619 project” which commemorates the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in the colonies.

She’s also been featured in leading publications, including Black Enterprise, Good Housekeeping, Spartan Magazine, Real Simple, Wall Street Journal and Woman’s World.

Kenyatta’s Contact Info:

https://kenyattaberry.com

https://kenyattaberry.com/resources

http://instagram.com/kenyatta.berry

https://m.facebook.com/kenyattadb/

Amy Sudduth, Historian, Researcher and Epistolary enthusiast. ⁣

⁣

contact - amy.c.sudduth (at) gmail⁣

⁣

Wax Seal Society https://bit.ly/3mec8gi⁣

⁣

More notes from Amy:⁣

⁣

Richard Steele’s Letter- ⁣

“Nov. 18,1712⁣

Dear Prue,⁣

I AM come from a Committee, where I have (been) chairman, and drank too much. I have the headache; and should be glad you would come to me in good humour, which would always banish my uneasiness of temper from, dear Prue, ⁣

Your fond fool of a husband⁣

Rich. Steele”⁣

Sir Richard Steele to his wife; from the Epistolary Correspondence of Sir Richard Steele, 1809, pg 253⁣

⁣

The Penny Post Story & William Dockra in 1680. https://bit.ly/2ZkCJyu⁣

⁣

Mark Kurlansky’s History of Paper, probably too often, but it is great. ⁣

⁣

Strathmore Charcoal 300 Series for 18th century correspondence. Amy prefers to buy the 11x17 size, so I have options to cut the paper to smaller sizes for other sizes. https://bit.ly/3heGdsh⁣

⁣

The name of the other brand that I couldn't recall is Southworth, which is usually found at Office Supply stores. The trick with that paper is making sure you pay attention to weight. But their pastel Wove Paper is dreamy. They have a Wide variety. I usually get mine at staples and have a crush on the 'blush' colour that I use for my 1820s correspondances. https://bit.ly/35q16hI⁣

⁣

Gentleman’s letter to a lady:⁣

⁣

MADAM,⁣

⁣

The great love and tenderness I have hitherto expressed for you 

is false, and I now feel that my indifference towards you 

increases proportionably every day, and the more I see you 

the more I appear ridiculous, and an object of contempt, and

the more I feel disposed, inclined, and finally determined, to 

hate you. Believe me I never had the least inclination to 

offer you my hand and heart. Our last conversation has 

I assure you, left a wretched insipidity, which has be no means

possessed me with the most exalted opinion of your character. 

Yes, madam, and you will much oblige me by avoiding me. 

And if ever we are united, I shall experience nothing but the 

fearful hatred of my parents, added to an everlasting dis

pleasure of living with you. Yes, madam, I think sincerely. 

You need not put yourself to the smallest trouble or send or 

write me an answer ------ Adieu. And believe that I am 

so averse to you that it is really impossible I should ever be,

                        Madam,

                                 Your affectionate lover till death.

                                                                               W. GOFF

Learn key tips for improving your own handwriting, and hear about easy free resources — 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗧𝗦⁣

Spencerian (https://bit.ly/3boPo87)⁣

Palmer (https://bit.ly/3i4gDHu)⁣

Zaner-Bloser (https://bit.ly/3hUJr5j)⁣

Getty-Dubay (https://bit.ly/2EVPZSD)⁣

D’Nealian (https://bit.ly/3booE7Y)⁣

Normal German Script (https://bit.ly/3jB5RZO)⁣

Sütterlin, the older German Script (https://bit.ly/2EIt65D)⁣

French Ruling Script (https://bit.ly/31R3ImR)⁣

⁣

𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘 ⁣

Look for these key things:⁣

1. Speed⁣

2. Pressure⁣

3. Size⁣

4. Slant⁣

5. Spacing⁣

6. Margins⁣

⁣

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗦⁣

Michael R Sull’s “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱: 𝘈 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴” ⁣

(https://amzn.to/31OJRod)⁣

⁣

Breanna Jordan’s “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱” ⁣

(https://amzn.to/3lFKiJr)⁣

⁣

“𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱” ⁣

(Theory Book plus five copybooks) (https://amzn.to/351wMtJ)⁣

⁣

⁣

𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦⁣

Michael R Sull (https://www.instagram.com/michaelrsull/)⁣

⁣

Kestrel Montes, INK ME THIS (https://www.instagram.com/inkmethis/)⁣

Free Resources: https://bit.ly/2EHtzVG⁣

Classes: https://bit.ly/3bi0TOO⁣

⁣

Sarah Richardson (https://www.instagram.com/sarahscript)⁣

FREE 8mm Guidelines and Proportions Guidelines (http://www.sarahscript.com/resources)⁣

Additional Resources: http://www.sarahscript.com/resources⁣

⁣

Melissa Esplin (https://www.instagram.com/melissapher ⁣

and https://www.instagram.com/calligraphyorg)⁣

https://www.calligraphy.org/public/say-hello-to-melissa/⁣

⁣

Allison McClanahan (https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodcalligraphyandpost)⁣

https://www.wildwoodcp.com/⁣

⁣

Paul Antonio (https://www.instagram.com/pascribe)⁣

http://paulantonioscribe.com/⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

⁣

In this week’s episodes, I share about the western lineage of handwriting from the Sumerians in Uruk to modern day handwriting in America.

I mention two books in this episode, “Paper” by Mark Kurlansky (https://amzn.to/3jeHa5i) and

“Mastering copperplate calligraphy” by Eleanor Winters. (https://amzn.to/3luVngu)

Here’s the general timeline (with some points of history I didn’t mention):

* 50,000 BCE - Humans start drawing lines

* 15,000 BCE - Humans have learned to paint with dynamism with cave painting at Lascoix, France

* 3000 BCE - Mesopotamian cuneiform, including Sumatran, which included the first phonetic characters.

* 2400 BCE - Egyptians began using parchment

* 1500 BCE - Phoenician alphabet create with 22 phonetic letters, first fully phonetic alphabet

* Around 400 BCE - The Athenians declare the Ionian alphabet the official alphabet

* By 146 BCE - the Roman Empire conquers the Greek empire and borrows for their own alphabet of 23 characters

* Late 700s CE - Charlemagne standardizes writing through standard teaching for scribes

* 10th Century CE - U added to the alphabet

* 12th Century CE - W added to the alphabet

* 15th Century CE - J added to the alphabet

* 1588 CE- England defeats the Spanish Armada and takes control of the seas

* 17th Century CE - Expansion of English economy through trade causes for an increase in scribe and tutors.

* Mid-1880’s CE- Spencerian method develop and taught widely in the US

* Late 1880s CE - New methods, including Palmer and Zaner-Bloser methods developed

* 1970’s CE - D’Nealian® style developed

What makes a good love letter? What are some examples of good love letters?⁣⁣

⁣⁣

⁣⁣

In this episode, I share some of my favorite love letters and give advice and encouragement to write your own letters.