I'm Jessica and this is my wife Claudia C: Hello!

If you're new to this

channel I make videos generally about chronic illness and disabilities and gay

stuff but recently I've been feeling a bit:

[pretends to hyperventilate]

which I think is a feeling that a lot of people can relate to you right now

C: Hmm, I was feeling like it just now.

So we decided that we were just

gonna have a lovely little time doing some artwork because we've been really

enjoying the sponsor today's video: Skillshare which is an online learning

platform. Skillshare have videos and things like arts and crafts but also charisma

how to be a good business leader, how to do better at life.

It's true. C: How to master Lightroom and Photoshop?

All of that good stuff! C: Creative writing

And today's topic which is making a

beautiful line drawing using initials. I'm going to create a C for Claudia

C: And I'm gonna do it J for Jessica because we're her original like that

Oh yeah... yeah.

C: I think it's called typography? Illustrative Lettering? J: I think so.

Normally it's suggested that you take photos out and about:

flower market, (C: yeah or a garden center) places we can't go right now!

Or public gardens like Kew's J: also a place we can't go right now

but instead we have the wonder of the internet. Thank goodness!

Bringing us all closer together this time of need

C: You can get anything on the internet

J: You really can! C: I mean like gosh what would we do if this was happening

in the day we've before internet?

Cry.

More.

Play lots of card games. J: Oh we should do that actually, yeah.

Skillshare are offering 2 months free membership for those clicking the link in the

description of this video down below so get there quickly!

And have fun learning lots of new things.

The class we chose was a Skillshare Original

Illustrated Lettering: Drawing Intricate Floral Forms by Gemma O'Brien,

a designer and lettering artist. The course talks you through turning

photographs of flowers into Photoshop Elements and then arranging them

into beautiful designs. I'm not particularly well-versed in Photoshop so I really

enjoyed learning new tips and tricks. It actually turned out to be incredibly

soothing to sit and arrange the flowers over the letters.

If you're interested in this course or… just suddenly find that you have A LOT

of time on your hands and want to learn some new things then try Skillshare!

I was getting really bad hand cramps so we are going to make these pens

disability-friendly using bubble wrap and kitchen towel.

So fold bubble wrap, then fold the kitchen towel.

And then roll...

It's going to be a really big thick pen now

[Both laugh]

No more hand cramps for me !

C: It looks like a loo roll.

It looks like a loo roll!

J: It looks like a loo roll, ok well...fine.

J: Deep breaths [laughs]

You've done well so far you've outlined everything I haven't even got around

mine, I think if we actually had tracing paper

as she has in the video life would be a lot easier [both laugh]

C: I know, basically we are using this like...layout paper.

I mean I've never heard of layout paper before and after this I

never want to again. This is very challenging.

I mean but hey maybe it's a metaphor.

C: For what?

Because you would think that having to be at home for 12 weeks

would be easy but hey it's actually incredibly challenging.

[Both laugh]

C: I guess you can make it as easy or challenging as you like.

This?

C: No!

Being upset about a worldwide global pandemic?

C: Yeah I mean sometimes like I

try and think I'm not gonna think about it today but you just can't help it

J: yeah

and you read something you even intend to read a lot maybe you don't

even tend to read about Coroni just like heey

[C laughs] Coroni?

Is that what you call it now? Coroni?

Apparently! C: You just like...

What's that thing that people do like when they try and make something

more friendly like to personify it?

Oh yeah sure I personified the virus. [laughs]

Or that part from hurricanes and storms they give them name so they we actually

take them with more gravity.

J: Jessica yeah, so we take them seriously.

Which, by the way...

To storms is kind of unfair because you could lose everything and it could be

really silly named storm.

C: I lost everything to Brenda.

[Both laugh]

J: You know the bit of this I actually really enjoyed was doing Photoshop?

C: Yeah?

Like just kind of working out how to do Photoshop.

C: My problem is I don't use it enough to retain the knowledge but then we both

like learning stuff so maybe it's fine that we've been you've got memory loss a

maybe it works to our advantage that every other month we are like

I'm going to learn something new! But actually we learned it before.

[Both laugh]

J: yeah I mean we don't often discuss the good points of memory loss and the joy

of learning is definitely one of those good things because I get to learn

things often, I also get to learn things like plot points of movies that

I've actually watched before but I'm shocked.

C: Oh I just ruined it again!

[Jessica laughs] This is soo difficult...

J: By the way I love so much that you do the Wallace & Gromit thing when you are upset

[both laugh] C: Do I?

J: Yeah, did yo not realise? C: I know I just did that then

but I didn't realise it's been quite regular. J: Yeah it's a trait.

[both laugh]

You commonly do it.

I hope I don't do that while I'm working.

[Jessica laughs]

Suddenly pick up my instruments and go: [ahhhr] [both laugh]

Above their heads...

J: I mean most people at the dentist have their eyes closed right?

C: No. J: Oh..really?

C: Yeah.

Well I just close my eyes to be polite.

It's fine I don't mind, I'm not looking at your eyes I'm looking at your mouth.

So I don't even...I can't even tell if your eyes are shut to be honest.

When I'm at the hairdresser's I get like really awkward about it I know I need

like lean back and they wash your hair in the sink [Jessica laughs]

I don't know were to look I'm like, do I shut my eyes and enjoy this head rub?

but then that they might think I'm enjoying it too much and

like and it's a bit creepy? Or do I just like stare at the ceiling and then I'm

like look like they're weirdo because I've just got my eyes wide open like:

J: wow!

Then I'm like wow I'm thinking about this too much I just wanted to be over!

J: Is this what it's like to be an over-thinker? C: yes

J: this is just what goes on your mind? C: Having my hair cut is one of my

worst like life experiences that unfortunately has to be repeated every now and again.

J: I'm sorry I didn't realise that your life was this...

... this difficult! C: Oh gosh.

Skillshare is giving away 2 free months of Premium Membership

to the first 1000 people who click the link in the description box

to help you explore your creativity.

And after that, it's only around $10 a month to keep improving those skills.

I found this very interesting, my parents are both artists and they always say that

my art is too tight because I like drawing really tight tiny lines

C: I love arts that is tight tiny lines but I'm really bad at it I'm like much more

like my full body should go into things when it comes to art like because I'm

a dentist so actually like I do need quite fiddle in...

Maybe that's why when I'm trying to be creative and expressive

I wanna do things like:

bigger and less precise, so even though I'm like 'why doesn't it look perfect?'

mentally I'm like I don't want it to look perfect.

oh no wait mentally I do want it to look perfect. J: at work but at home...

No! [laughs]

You are like, expressive!

I was going to say, mentally I want it to look perfect but like in my soul!

J: Oh C: Emotionally I wanted to look

You know...

J: That's so much deeper right...

You shouldn't have interrupted me... anywaay! [jessica laughs]

Here we are so Jessica: [fariy dust sfx] had the patience to finish hers.

[both laugh]

And I did not, I haven't even taken the cello tape out of the corners [both laugh]

But I mean, it's nearly there, I got a little frustrated because

1. we didn't have real tracing paper we had very thin paper

it was really hard to see what

I was trying to do. J: I mean I think my parents would look at this and still say

it was very tight and not expressive enough or arty enough

C: I love it!

But I made it for you, and i filled it with love.

C: But I think this class was quite tight

Yeah dammit I did the right thing!

I mean I think it's gonna be less tight if you

actually have your real pieces of inspiration like at the real flower next

to you but as we said, you know.

Anyway, I will finish it when I feel less pressured.

J: Can I just say though I think this is the very first time we've done

an arty video and we've done many together where I finished!

C: Yeah, I was gonna high five you. I'll high five you!

I think my hand is going to drop off it hurts so badly right now.

I literally feel like I've broken every bone in my hand

But it was worth it for you.

Yeah we can get this framed. J: It could go in our new kitchen yeah

C: I mean with the actual tracing paper which is suggested the idea is that you

can then put it on top of that coloured paper.

J: I feel like this would have been much

easier (be really careful with that) I feel this would have been much

easier with actual tracing paper so would advise would recommend.

C: yours is just so much nicer than mine just generally. J: Ouch.

But we hope that this

video has brought you some joy and that you start to feel a little less:

[pretends to hyperventilate]

after watching it!

We'll see you in the next video! Both: Bye!