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Well this is a super late post, apologies for that! The suw(h)at team has been busy the last few weeks with orders, Criss-Crossings, the CIS Christmas Bazaar, and our limited time offer: CHOOSE your 5 for 500 promo.

Now, we're back to blogging and this post covers an event that happened on November (talk about late, right?) from our friends at ScissorlipS and The HeadquarterZ: the Almost Poets Society launch!

I've personally been to the venue before as it regularly hosts art and music events like designubec but I've never been early enough to these events to actually appreciate the decor. I mean the place is also a mini-gallery! With work from local artists lining the walls. Way to promote local guys, plus points from me.

We had a bunch of young talents grace the stage that night. Hana Regis, rocking the ukelele with her whimsy voice that I instantly fell in love with. She performed a few original compositions that I really liked. The fact that it had an easygoing feel but meant so much more really drew me in.

Tara Prieto came up next with her poetry reading, starting off with her own composition following it with a piece by one of her favorite poets. This is the first time I've ever witnessed a poetry reading in my life and it was awesome that Tara baptized me per se. She was quirky and funny and very passionate: from introducing herself on stage to doing the reading.

We then had Jewel Villaflores grace the stage both as a singer and poet, performing four(?) times in a row. She is also a member of Vispop and the singer of Duyog! I screamed inside a bit when I heard her sing as I didn't really know who she was until I heard her voice. What kind of fan am I, huh? Not a very good one apparently haha.

Dwight and Astrid were hands down the most intense performers of the night for me. A lot of their compositions hit me right in the gut with themes such as acceptance, love, and the struggle of being yourself in a society that dictates otherwise. The depth of their performance really moved me at some points and a section of Dwight's even brought me to tears for a while. Would listen to them again 10/10.

Juanita and Ba Nana's performances easily land a soft spot for me along with Hana's. I specifically like the fact that a portion of Ba Nana's piece mentioned her gaped teeth which I thought was really cute. Going up on stage to essentially bare a part of themselves to a crows is something that I think is really brave. Good on you, ladies!

I unfortunately had to leave early as I live a few ways off from the venue, but nevertheless the event was something I won't ever forget. It changed my perception of poetry and the art of the spoken word, it gave me a new perspective on how people think, and ultimately was a good way to spend the night! I'm looking forward to more events like these from the cebuano creative community and perhaps have collaborations in the future. Who knows? suw(h)at might just cook something up for these creatives ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

events

Brush Up! a Brushpen Calligraphy Workshop

9:20 PM

Brush Up! is organized by Typescribe PH a Cebu-based organization aiming to promote the art of brushpen calligraphy and typography through hosting workshops and related events to increase the awareness of the artform and to encourage talents to hone their skills.

Suw(h)at heard of the event from it's organizer, Gian Solamo, who is a good friend (initially a good friend of a friend) and is also the founder of Graphik 9. He is a practiced brushpen calligrapher and has ~~stalker-worthy~~ admirable and inspiring work up on his Instagram page.

Gian was generous enough to think about sharing his skills on the art of brushpen calligraphy by building a community of interested talents that are willing to learn under his tutelage.

The Brush Up! registration guarantees you a spot in the workshop, two free brushpens, an event-exclusive notebook, a number of useful worksheets you can take home, a canvass bag you need to design on at the end of the workshop, and most importantly, free food and drinks!

I actually came in late due to unforseen circumstances ~~almost loosing my mobile phone~~ so I assumed they had a short lecture on the types of brushes, strokes, and general how-tos before they started on the exercise sheets.

I have never done so much artful writing in a day. By the time the clock hit 3pm, my wrist was aching and my fingers were numb but boy did I learn so much through repetition; muscle memory plays a huge part on the outcome of your piece.

The Brush Up! workshop kit had a ton of exercises ranging from rows and rows of uppercase and lowercase letters, and a huge worksheet with artfully written words and phrases that you can replicate and practice your versatility on.

Free Handuraw specials, drinks, and good music also accompanied us as we went about our work. The Typescribe crew were very welcoming and easy to talk to, a lot of them being as young as us (wink).

What I loved about the workshop was that Gian painstakingly checks your work after every row you finish. He tells you how your stokes could improve but always emphasizes that you're free to find your own style, that your calligraphy should always reflect you, which is also what suw(h)at dreams to be all about.

At the end of all the drills and when you've got the hang of the basics, the final session of the workshop lets you express yourself by designing your favorite quote on the canvas bag that came with the workshop kit. Naturally, I chose suwhat's battle cry.

Overall, the event was great and what you get out of is is way more than the materials and skills you gain. It's a test of patience of focus and highlights the importance of practice in gaining any skills and that individuality is something you shouldn't forget along the way. Suw(h)at highly recommends Typescribe PH workshops and would gladly support them in their future events!

For inquiries and comments, drop them a message at typescribeph@gmail.com or visit their founder's Instagaram account.

Any opportunities and events that we should know about? Poetry slams or writing contests, maybe? Tell us about them in the comments below. Long live notebooks!