Why you should bring calligraphy into your workplace
Can the art of beautiful writing really improve employee wellbeing and team dynamics?
When it comes to workplace training and wellbeing programmes, we’re often staring down the barrel of financial health checks, yoga and gym offers, nutritional recipes and mental health awareness - all of which are hugely beneficial in the right setting and can improve a company’s wellbeing benchmark tremendously.
But what do businesses need to be thinking about when it comes to workplace wellbeing this year?
The art of beautiful writing has its place in history, and has been making a reemergence over the last few years. From Etsy products, to mindful creative workshops calligraphers are bringing a modern twist to lettering and penmanship. But is it now making its mark in the workplace?
My journey with calligraphy has brought about a space for not only myself, but also people from all walks of life to come together and connect in a myriad of ways. But I have also discovered some additional benefits for groups and teams who work across projects and companies when it comes to exploring this accessible art - with only a pencil!
1. Celebrating differences
Let’s start here: calligraphy is booming and one reason why is due to its simple set up. No easels, paints, clay, printing presses, fabric or thread needed.
It’s accessible: all you need is a pencil, or pen to get going.
It’s great for anyone to enjoy across any creative level. In fact, for those creatively un-confident, this is the perfect creative activity as it’s simple to get going. You can be left or right handed, I have even worked with people with hand disabilities, mental health issues and from all ages and backgrounds. We know that neuro-diverse teams enhance creativity within the workplace, and now calligraphy could further support this creativity to the groups, celebrating differences, with one art form.
2. Break the routine; build new connections
Forbes sorted the bad rap ‘team-building’ was getting, but what I’m becoming more and more aware of is a lack of creative thinking within businesses. Automated work routines for companies are often essential but never stepping off the wheel, or breaking these routines from time to time reduces opportunities to pause, reflect, and improve.
Integrating art as a way of building team connections, reducing project stress, and raising awareness of preventative mindfulness-based initiatives within the corporate world has an important role for individuals.
And I believe it can also have a key part to play for improving cohesion within teams.
3. The power of vulnerability
So what exactly about calligraphy builds connection?
When we’re actively creative, we are naturally vulnerable.
We’re in a space of exploration and learning, and therefore more open to observing ourselves and others. The openness between colleagues can create - or restore - connections away from the bubbling, sometimes cautious (or inauthentic), office chat.
“Vulnerability is the absolute heartbeat of innovation and creativity. There can be zero innovation without vulnerability.”
4. Shake off the dust sheet
We trigger problem-solving mindsets and, with good facilitation, can quieten our inner perfectionist.
When we’ve recently experienced something inspiring, we are actually wiring our brains to think more creatively.
We’re changing the pathways in our brains to think differently - bringing new ideas and processes to projects and tasks.
“The process of inspiration carves out new pathways inside the brain.”
5. Motivation boost
One of my favourites - get on out of that funk! After a particularly tough pitch, project, or staring at a new impending project we can slip into a state of numbness. Perhaps, it’s that we are not being challenged enough, or the job/client/project is not aligning with the team as a whole.
Doing something creative, like calligraphy, can boost our happy hormones, inducing a sense of fun and even friendly competition in some which can move us from fear / boredom (or procrastination) into drive mode.
We’re gently challenged and, with calligraphy, you see results quickly which begins to trigger little moments of dopamine that we need to feel motivated.
6. Focus, focus, focus…
With calligraphy you are undertaking a single-focus activity. You are connecting your brain to your hand, your hand to your pen, and your pen to the paper.
This line of intention from your mind to the pen draws us out of our everyday ‘brain-buzz’.
Studies show that not only are you strengthening your brain memory, but additionally when you are guided through a session you are also removing the need for decision-making briefly and surrendering to a moment of pure flow - this can bring about positive impacts for the rest of your day.
Interested in bringing calligraphy into your workplace? Read more about my sessions for workplaces, or get in touch to discuss specific options and tailor it to your team.