one take, & maybe more

One take. That’s all you get.

How would you approach a task if you literally only have ONE shot of doing it right? No do-overs. No, “oops, sorry, I’ll just get a fresh piece of paper and start again.”

The sense of permanence is intimidating and challenging at the same time. It’s either you make something permanently aesthetic or permanently damaged.

So what’s the key? Practice and prep. Brave is the heart that holds the engraving drill without a sketch. I’ve actually done this, being brave and engraving without sketching first, and it was at times successful. I have a love/hate relationship with grids and guidelines. I feel more satisfied doing freehand with my pointed or brush pens. However, items I’ve usually engraved are more expensive than a greeting card, envelope, or gift tag. So much much consideration (and breathing) must be given.

A steady hand is definitely a must-have when engraving. I’ve also learned to hyper focus on the engraving at hand and tune out the world’s noise. Going AND accepting the slowness of the whole process is also a requirement. Engraving is not an overnight skill.

(Photo alt-text: A small bottle of perfume engraved with the name “Malia” in calligraphy with flower and leaves around it. Yellow flowers with green stems are beside the engraved perfume bottle. All materials are resting on a marble table.)

I’ve definitely practiced on a lot of items and surfaces and had my more than fair share of mistakes and do-overs. On one level, my mistakes considered waste of time and definitely money. But I’ve soon come to learn that there is no wasted effort in practicing your skill. Every mistake has led me to lessons on what not to do next. My hands and muscle memory learn each time. Errors are also an investment.

Surprisingly, what has helped me develop my engraving (and enjoy the process more) is dreaming up the overall look, making it really solid in my head before I turn on the drill. Imagination is key. I have to see it clearly in my head and on the blank surface, so my hands can also see and move accordingly. With this mindset approach, sometimes I don’t even follow what I previously sketched.

It’s seeing everything first in your head, on your own, believing in your own vision yourself, before others—I think that’s what makes (and breaks) the creative process. Sometimes, it’s so hard to move past that self-doubt. Giving up after drawing or sketching a few lines and strokes.

Practice and skills are important. But they could be turn to mere mechanical routines if you don’t couple them with imagination.

So unexpected for me to say this but learning, developing, and loving my engraving practice has really helped me in believing in myself a little bit more with each surface and calligraphy engraved.