In this year-end review, we’ll explore the creative highlights of 2025: a thriving Premium community, new approaches to course creation, memorable milestones for The Calligraphy Book, and some surprises that happened along the way.
This was the year TPK found a new rhythm. With the debut of TPK Premium late last year, the site developed a clearer focus on delivering thoughtful, high-quality learning experiences. Many of you jumped into this new chapter with me, helping shape fresh tutorials, attending live discussions, or tackling new worksheets. And even if you’re not a member yet, simply staying connected and cheering TPK on has made a real difference this year.
In November 2024, TPK Premium launched. This year, it hit its stride. Over the course of the past twelve months, Premium benefited from tweaks that made it more inspirational and useful. Members now enjoy early access to new video courses, complete with live class discussions, before they are released to the general public. The membership also includes live creative coffee dates, unlimited TPK Blog access, and a private Discord community that offers encouragement and support.
My favorite shift over the past few months has been the community aspect of TPK. I was always a little resistant to starting a community because I know that many of us practice art and calligraphy for ourselves. Why would we share that practice with a group of people? Now, I have my answer. It’s incredible to have a collection of creative minds readily available when you need input or just want to share something you made. Time and time again, I’ve seen someone ask for recommendations or share a photo, only to be met with encouraging words and helpful information.
While it was scary at first to shift the best aspects of the site into a members-only space, I’m very happy I made the decision to do so. It simply wasn’t sustainable to keep writing detailed tutorials and articles for free, especially now that AI bots are mining sites for information. The positive feedback from members has been so encouraging. It’s a win-win; I get to create tutorials, video courses, and worksheets without worrying about SEO or ads, and members see the benefit in the high quality of those resources.
If you’re not yet a TPK Premium member, I heartily encourage you to give it a try. It starts at $5/month, which is less than the value of whatever worksheet or resource you’ll receive for free as part of your membership. You can cancel anytime under the “Subscriptions” tab in your account.
Historically, I’ve debuted video courses as complete packages of videos and quizzes. This year, that changed, beginning with Hand Lettering 101. Instead of launching the course all at once, videos were filmed and released at regular intervals for TPK Premium members. We had live class discussions via Zoom, which helped subsequent lessons to better meet student needs.
Right now, we’re on the cusp of finishing up a re-make of the Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course. This is the third time I’ve re-done the course (the first version came out in 2018, the second in 2021, and version three officially releases on January 6th). This time around, the experience was incredible. I got to watch progress happening in real time, which is something I’ve never been privy to before. The class discussions were fun and illuminating, and the whole experience made everyone excited for the new Intermediate Modern Calligraphy Online Course, which will launch in late January or early February.
I’ve been loving this new teaching format, and I’m excited to continue using it in 2026. I hope that you’ll join us then for the Intermediate Modern Calligraphy Online Course, the Ultimate Beginner’s Watercolor Online Course, and perhaps a mail art mini-course!
The Calligraphy Book kicked off 2025 as a best-selling “hot new release” on Amazon. Since then, photos of it have popped up from all over the world; and I’ve heard from many new people who discovered calligraphy through the book.
Though it’s been over a year since The Calligraphy Book launched, I’m so proud of it — and grateful for the perspective it offered. I loved making the tutorials for the second half, and through creating those joyful projects, I realized that something needed to change on the site to enable me to focus much less on marketing and more on the creation process. In short: I owe a lot to The Calligraphy Book; not only for the wider exposure that it’s given TPK, but also for the shift in how I approach TPK: less marketing, more making.
Early this year, TPK appeared — for the second time! — in the Happy Ever Crafter’s Workshop Week. A couple of months later, you might have caught the World Calligraphy as Meditation Day workshop, which involved an intricate free worksheet. (You can still download the worksheet and do the meditation here.)
As the year went on, I wrote about and participated in two envelope art contests: The Graceful Envelope and the Edward Gorey House. The Graceful Envelope entry ended up being a winner; and, while I wasn’t a winner in the Edward Gorey contest, someone in my house was! My seven-year-old son submitted a winning envelope, which he is absolutely over the moon about.
The year wrapped up with a surprise mention in The New Yorker, where TPK’s modern calligraphy starter kit appeared in a special holiday gift guide. The editor also mentioned TPK’s “excellent courses” — which, of course, was cool to see and much appreciated.
Honestly, I’ve been loving the new rhythm that TPK Premium has introduced. My goal is to continue the momentum we’ve built this year! You can expect new (or newly re-filmed) video courses, fresh worksheets, coffee dates (Samantha Dion Baker will be joining us again next month!), and plenty of inspirational tutorials.
With 2026 just around the corner, I want to thank you for supporting this little creative oasis — which turned 14 this year! Your memberships, kind words, suggestions, and ingenuity have meant the world. I’m excited for all the inspiring things we’ll make together in the new year. Happy 2026, and — again — thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Warmly,
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