We quizzed self-taught calligrapher, and the hands behind London studio Oh Wonder, on her passion for stunning handwriting

What first sparked your interest in calligraphy?

My journey with calligraphy started in 2013 when I was working as a graphic designer. I was on the computer day in and day out and I wanted to get away from that. At the time I had grand plans of starting up a wedding stationery business so when I began seeing images of calligraphy on Pinterest and Instagram I knew I had to give it a try. I have always loved writing, I was always the girl with a notebook and paper diary and, as much as I love my phone, I have to have my schedule written on paper! I bought a few tools and started the very long journey of learning modern calligraphy.

I was really bad to begin with but through a lot of research and trial and error I finally discovered the right tools that I needed and my practise started to resemble what I wanted it to! I started making cards for all my friends and family and spending every moment I could practising. In 2015, I had my son Oscar and quickly realised I didn’t want to go back to the design contract work I had been doing beforehand, so when he was six months old I started up Oh Wonder with a basic website and very bad photos! I fell into a lovely community of wedding professionals and started making contacts and taking part in styled shoots which got my name out there. I started getting my own clients and working with some of the most amazing wedding planners in this country. It was a bit crazy and I definitely didn’t expect things to take off so quickly but I put every waking hour into making it work as I had finally discovered what I loved.

It has now been almost three years since I put that website live and it has been a whirlwind. I have worked on some of the most stunning dreamy weddings, worked alongside incredibly talented people and with some huge brands and now I have a book with my name on it. All pretty crazy and amazing!

Why do you think calligraphy is seeing such a resurgence right now?

I think that in a day and age where we text instead of call and email instead of write, people are searching for a way to make our buzzing digital lives a bit more analogue again. We are being taught so much about the importance of self-care and people who work on a computer all day long are searching for creative hobbies to spend some time doing something they can connect with and love. There is a romanticism attached to handwriting and letter writing. A declaration of love is always going to have more meaning on paper as opposed to in an email.

What’s the best way for a beginner to get started with calligraphy?

Firstly, get yourself the right tools! They are so important! Research into the right things to use – there are so many amazing resources out there now. The tools that I teach with and have in my beginners’ kits are the exact tools that I use myself so I can vouch that they are the best! Secondly, patience is key. It can be so easy to get frustrated but getting better at calligraphy is all about taking it slow and being patient. And lastly, practise, practise, practise! The tools that I use are amazing but they aren’t magic, it really takes a lot of practise and patience to get better but if you can put the time in then I fully believe anyone can become amazing at calligraphy!

Congratulations on the publication of your book! Tell us where your book writing journey began.

It all seems very surreal! It all started in May 2017 when Joanne from Haynes got in touch after finding me on The Handmade Fair website and asked me if I would be interested in writing a book for them. I was really shocked and it took a long time for it to sink in! From there it was a crazy blur of content proposals and flat plans. I signed my contract in August 2017 and then between September and February I wrote it and did all the projects which, whilst a bit stressful, for the most part was really fun. I was lucky enough to be able to choose a photographer to work with and the amazing Holly Booth did such a brilliant job with all the images. We had one day shooting in a studio together – to get all the shots of me and also my hands – but apart from that everything was shot remotely. I handed my manuscript and all the images in three days before my 30th birthday and jetted off to Paris to celebrate!

Have you always been creative?

In some ways I have and others not really. When I was younger I wanted to be a vet so did a lot of sciences and really concentrated on that. However I really enjoyed art (although I am not the best at drawing or painting!) and my school notes and revision were always perfectly laid out and decorated with gel pens! When I went to college I was told by my science teacher that I wasn’t smart enough to be a vet. It knocked my confidence quite badly and I ended up not doing very well at college even though I had been an A student at school. From there I decided to pursue more creative paths and went to uni to study fashion journalism and then to adult education college to study graphic design. Now I don’t really have time for any creative hobbies but I am really trying to find time to get better at illustration and also other forms of traditional calligraphy.

What is your favourite thing about working as a professional calligrapher?

The variation of my job. I mainly work on weddings and every one is different so I get to be really creative and no two days are the same. During the Christmas period, I work with brands and do on-site calligraphy which is really different each time. Then along with all that I have a product based shop to run as well so I get to mix inks and spend time creating new colours. It is all so varied and I love it all!

Have you got any exciting projects planned for Christmas?

Yes! Last year I did some personalised baubles which were really popular so this year I am doing them again and have introduced some new colours and also some personalised plant pots which are the most fun to make! I love hearing the stories behind the personalisations on them, from new babies to lost ones having a place on the Christmas tree.

See more of Lauren’s stunning calligraphy at www.ohwondercalligraphy.com

Credit: Holly Booth and Haynes