> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://bl.ag/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # My First Letterheads: Sea Level, Amsterdam, 2026 - URL: https://bl.ag/my-first-letterheads-sea-level-amsterdam-2026/ - Published: 2026-09-17T13:00:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-17T13:10:38.000Z - Description: Maggie Jaris bit the bullet to make the trip from New York to Amsterdam and has no regrets. - Author: Better Letters - Tags: Events, Letterheads *During last month’s* [*Letterheads 2026: Sea Level*](https://www.amsterdamsignpainters.nl/letterheads2026/?ref=bl.ag)*, hosted by* [*Amsterdam Signpainters*](https://www.amsterdamsignpainters.nl/?ref=bl.ag)*, a woman approached me to say that I was partly responsible for her flying over from New York to attend. Her name is* [*Maggie Jaris*](https://www.instagram.com/maggietries/?ref=bl.ag) *and I hope that her story here encourages other ‘newbies’ to sign up for their first Letterheads.* --- ## My First Letterheads **By Maggie Jaris** I learned about [Letterheads](https://bl.ag/tag/letterheads/) right at the start of my sign painting journey. I was taking an online class with [Liane Barker](https://www.masteringtheartofsignwriting.com/?ref=bl.ag) and someone asked how we could keep progressing after the course. Liane mentioned that meetups, like Letterheads, were powerful opportunities to learn from other painters, connect with people, and really just see what is possible. That all sounded wonderful, but it was 2022, and much of the world was still in some degree of lockdown. Large, in-person gatherings seemed very far off, and so did the idea that I might ever feel like I belonged at one, considering how much I had left to learn. Over the next two years as I tried to keep going on my own, I wound up learning more about the Letterheads movement, [its history](https://bl.ag/signs-of-the-times-the-letterheads-in-1981/), how it’s been carried forward for half a century, which only made attending a meet one day feel even more aspirational. And when I took two more workshops in 2025, I wasn’t exactly surprised when Letterheads came up again at both of them, nor that it came up in the same way — as a great way to fuel our interest and skills as newbie sign painters. All that to say, by the time the 2026 Letterheads meet in Amsterdam was announced, I was daydreaming about going while also telling myself I was way too new and unskilled and would just have to wait until I was a better painter and had earned a place there. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/2026-Letterheads-Sea-Level-Amsterdam.jpg) The official [Letterheads 2026: Sea Level](https://www.amsterdamsignpainters.nl/letterheads2026/?ref=bl.ag) artwork by [Dave Correll](https://www.instagram.com/davecorrellbrushwork/?ref=bl.ag). And then Sam sent out a BLAG email saying registration was about to open, and gently encouraging beginners to consider attending. > “Also, as a gentle reminder, this event is open to all, regardless of experience level. If you’re just starting out, or still relatively new to sign painting, then these meets are like rocket fuel in terms of what you learn and who you meet.” That note understood what it’s like to be new to something you love — to be committed and passionate, and also still fumbling and tentative — and it met that feeling exactly where it was and said: “go anyway”. It worked on me. I registered. And then I went into a tailspin for four months. I felt like I wasn’t ready and was going to embarrass myself, and also that it was arrogant and presumptuous to think I belonged at this event at all. And I should say that no-one, ever, in talking about Letterheads made it seem this way. I was creating this narrative of standards and earning a place because I was scared and embarrassed to still be a beginner. In choosing to go, I was actively fighting back against my usual pattern of “I’ll do it when I’m ready” and “I need to be good enough before I try at all” and all this spiralling was that old pattern trying to reassert itself. I’m so glad it didn’t win. Because as nervous as I was in the lead up to the event, and as sick to my stomach as I felt walking over on that first day, as soon as I started talking to people things got easier. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Boris-Suyderhoud.jpg) Letterheads queuing for registration at [Oedipus](https://oedipus.com/?ref=bl.ag) Craft Space in Amsterdam. Photo: [Boris Suyderhoud](https://borissuyderhoud.com/?ref=bl.ag). The very first person I spoke to was also attending her first Letterheads and also nervous, and that was all it took for us to form a fast little friendship. That happened twice more in the next ten minutes, and just like that, I had people to find and chat with throughout the weekend. And that was before the workshops! I spent a lot of that first day learning about layout from [Jeff Marshall](https://www.marshallartz.com.au/?ref=bl.ag), taking frantic notes and trying my best with thumbnails and sketches. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the other students were all kind and open to talking, and very generous with their knowledge and advice. It would have been harder to *not* make friends. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Boris-Suyderhoud-46.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Jeff-Marshall-lettering-demo-closeup.jpeg) Jeff Marshall teaching his class, as photographed by [Boris Suyderhoud](https://borissuyderhoud.com/?ref=bl.ag), and my photo of one of his demonstration sheets. The workshop went by in a flash, and afterwards we headed back to the main event space. That was the first time I saw the newbie corner with “[Dr. Dan](https://www.paintedbydan.co.uk/?ref=bl.ag)” and his big bright posters promising confidentiality and no judgement for any and all sign painting questions and I couldn’t help but smile. Sam had been right: beginners were definitely welcome. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Boris-Suyderhoud-65.jpg) [Dan Luckin](https://www.paintedbydan.co.uk/?ref=bl.ag), aka Dr Dan, in the beginner’s area talking with Blake from [Superflow Signs](https://www.superflowsigns.com/?ref=bl.ag). Photo: [Boris Suyderhoud](https://borissuyderhoud.com/?ref=bl.ag). We found a free spot and Jeff gave us a quick demo of his casual and script lettering, and then a small group of us stuck around to paint in what had become a very steady rain. I was overjoyed, even though I quickly wound up standing in a large puddle. I was painting! In front of people! My nightmare of being too shy to take out my brushes had not come true! How could a puddle ruin that?! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Yanto-Basuki-IMG_0623-Maggie-at-the-Meet.jpg) Just enough shelter from the rain for the beginners — that’s me in the yellow. Photo: [Yanto Basuki](https://www.instagram.com/yantobasuki.amsterdam/?ref=bl.ag). That said, when I got an opportunity to paint inside I did take it. I met up with the instructors of one of those 2025 workshops, and Sam ([Letterluxe Signs](https://letterluxesigns.com/?ref=bl.ag)) and Matt ([Forino Signs](https://www.instagram.com/forinosigns/?ref=bl.ag)) really took me under their wings. I was able to watch them work, and ask them for advice, not just about brush control and reference books but also about Letterheads and how to make the most of it (which was mostly: talk to people, ask them questions, ask them to show you how they did that cool thing). It was nicer than anything my anxiety had let me imagine might happen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_002.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_107.jpg) Sam Pitino of [Letterluxe Signs](https://letterluxesigns.com/?ref=bl.ag) in the panel jam room and taking a moment away from the easel to talk with Pierre Tardif. Photos: [Sabrina van Duijn](https://www.sabrinavanduijn.nl/?ref=bl.ag). The rest of the weekend was a beautiful blur — more learning and painting and rain, talking to lots of people and asking lots of questions, watching incredible artwork emerge over the course of hours and days. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_161.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_094.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_087.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Yanto-Basuki-IMG_1006_1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_429.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Yanto-Basuki-IMG_1177_1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_269.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Boris-Suyderhoud-88-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Yanto-Basuki-IMG_1216_1.jpg) Scenes from Letterheads 2026: Sea Level captured by photographers [Yanto Basuki](https://www.instagram.com/yantobasuki.amsterdam/?ref=bl.ag), [Boris Suyderhoud](https://borissuyderhoud.com/?ref=bl.ag), and [Sabrina van Duijn](https://www.sabrinavanduijn.nl/?ref=bl.ag). And then suddenly it was Sunday and things were winding down, and everyone’s gorgeous work was on display, and the next thing I knew I was crying on a plane. Not because I was sad, but because I was so overwhelmed by everything I had seen and learned and all the people I had met. I was overcome with a deep feeling of connection and a longing to get better at this craft, and do more, and make more, and work with cool people. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_284.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_297.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_344.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_342.jpg) Panels for sale in the silent and hands-up auctions. Photos: [Sabrina van Duijn](https://www.sabrinavanduijn.nl/?ref=bl.ag). It’s been two weeks and I’m still full of that feeling. It’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to see first hand what is possible in this craft, but it’s transformative. If you’re reading this and you’re new to the craft or feel under-skilled and overwhelmed and are desperately seeking out information about Letterheads events and whether you should go — **you should go!** Don’t wait for the next one or until you’re ‘ready’ or ‘good enough’. If you’re waiting until you feel ready, the truth is that you’ll never actually feel ready. So go! Go scared! You’ll meet so many people who care about this craft, and are completely open to sharing what they know. You’ll make friends, and ask questions, and leave so inspired and motivated it really will feel like rocket fuel. I mean it! Go. You’ll be so glad you did. **Maggie Jaris** / [@maggietries](https://www.instagram.com/maggietries/?ref=bl.ag) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/2026/09/Sabrina-van-Duijn-ASP2601_Letterheads2026_462.jpg) With thanks to our hosts from [Amsterdam Signpainters](https://www.amsterdamsignpainters.nl/?ref=bl.ag), from left: Alex Klerk, Joroen Koning, Loreen Hospodar, Miranda Ensink, and Jasper Andries. Photo: [Sabrina van Duijn](https://www.sabrinavanduijn.nl/?ref=bl.ag). At the time of writing, there are no confirmed plans for international events in 2027, but my periodic ‘[Worldwide Events Roundup](https://bl.ag/#/portal/account/newsletters)’ email and [the events page at bl.ag online](https://bl.ag/events/) are where I’ll share confirmation of rumours that I’ve heard. Looking further ahead, [Ben de Jongh](https://www.instagram.com/ben.dejongh/?ref=bl.ag) has put his hand up to host an event in Genk, Belgium, in the summer of 2028, so also stay tuned for news of that. [Manage Your Email Settings ](https://bl.ag/#/portal/account/newsletters) --- ### More Letterheads [Letterheads Meet Reviews on BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)Reviews, photo galleries, and films of Letterheads meets. IOAFS.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/icon/BLAG_Issue_09_Favicon-d3657fd3-d012-47a4-a974-d0d4aad370a2.png)BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign PaintingBetter Letters![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/aa/24aaa208-ebb0-4f83-bc52-1f4f253367c8/content/images/thumbnail/RIO_0723-1-d54415a6-5331-4e23-9a1e-48f2475daadb.jpg)](https://bl.ag/tag/letterheads/)