Writing a poem in Calligraphy

When my client commissioned a handwritten version of Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman as a bespoke gift, I knew it would be a challenge. With over 250 words and 62 lines, it became my longest calligraphy commission to date.

That’s why I felt it was worth sharing the full process here — for anyone who might be curious about what goes into a piece like this. I posted a few glimpses on Instagram and Facebook, mostly in photos with short captions. But those platforms aren’t really made for longer reflections. and I found myself wishing for a space to write more fully.

Blogging isn’t new to me. I used to write a lot — years ago, long before I became a calligrapher — mostly about everyday thoughts and life. I even wrote a few posts when I first started this creative journey. And then… I paused, for a long while.

Now feels like the right time to return.

So here you are, reading this post — and I just want to say: welcome, and thank you for being here. I hope this space becomes a gentle archive of my creative process — a place for stories, reflections, and the journey.

Now let’s begin, with the story behind…

The Making of Phenomenal Woman - a poem in calligraphy

Step 1: Layout Planning for Poem Calligraphy

Planning the layout is a crucial step — especially for poetry. Unlike writing an article, every phrase or line in a poem typically stands alone, which means we need more lines, and more space. My client initially asked for an A4-size piece, but due to the length of the poem, it's impossible to put the full poem at A4. I recommended a minimum size of A3. Even at A3, the script would have been too small if written in a single column — so I suggested the client to go with two columns in the final layout.

I created a digital layout in Adobe Photoshop (any software, like Word, works too), using a font similar in size and proportion to my script to estimate spacing. Using the computer helped tremendously with planning such a large piece. This helped me test script size, title proportions, and the author’s name placement. I finally chose to center-align the two columns, meaning the left column ends at the center, and the right column begins at the center.

Testing the layout with computer software

Once I was happy with the layout, I created the guidelines and took away the text, leaving a blank guide for writing.

marking guides

Guides for writing

Step 2: Pencil Layout

Using those guidelines, I wrote out the entire poem in pencil. I also planned the flourishing at this stage. Because the text was already quite dense, I decided to keep the flourishes minimal and not overwhelming.

Pencil Layout

Once I was satisfied with the pencil draft, I went over it with black ink.

Inking over the pencil draft

After the ink dried, I erased the pencil marks carefully. (Note: This draft served as a clean guide, not the final piece.)

Erasing pencil mark

Step 3: Writing the Final Piece

Now it was time to prepare the final piece.

I placed the artwork paper over the inked draft and used a light box to trace the poem. I used walnut ink and wrote slowly, carefully, following the layout I'd already developed.

You might wonder: Why write it again instead of just using the previous version? The reason is that pencil lines and erasing can leave marks or minor damage on the paper — not ideal for a final piece meant to be gifted. Having a finished draft underneath also helps reduce the pressure of making mistakes. All I had to do was focus fully on the writing, immersing myself in the meditative but highly attentive process of shaping each stroke.

The process is slow and can’t be rushed. I didn’t count the exact time, but I believe it took me around four hours just to complete the writing.

Meditative but highly attentive process

Took about 4 hours to complete

Step 4: Decoration

As you can see, there isn't much white space left, so I kept the decorative elements subtle — small watercolor flowers and leaves in the four corners, and some touches of gilding using gold leaf to add quiet elegance.

Minimal decoration

Preparing for gilding

Ready for the final step

Step 5: Framing the Final Piece

Last but not least, the frame is an important part of the presentation. Because my schedule was tight, I actually contacted the framing company before I started the final piece. The frame was custom-made using the measurements from my layout plan. (Ideally, you should complete the work first, then measure the actual piece — it’s safer.)

Choosing the frame and mat was an enjoyable part of the process. The staff at the framing shop were very experienced and offered great advice. In the end, I chose an antique-style bronze frame, with a double mat: the second layer was in antique gold to match the frame and add depth to the piece.

Final Thoughts

Finishing this piece brought a deep sense of satisfaction. It was a challenge in both scale and patience, but I’m grateful to have experienced the full process — from layout to final frame.

Thank you for reading my first post!

I hope you enjoyed this blog. I’ll be sharing more soon: tools, techniques, behind-the-scenes, and more stories of this creative path.

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See you next time :) In ink,

Stella