WESTMINSTER, Calif. – Khanh Diep remains calm and collected even though a lot of pressure rests on her shoulders as she perfects every single brush stroke. Her creations are often gifts people give to someone they care about during Vietnamese Lunar New Year, which is also known as Tet.

“Calligraphy is an art form. If you’re not passionate about it and if you’re upset, it’ll translate on paper,” says Khanh Diep.

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She learned the art of Vietnamese Calligraphy about six years ago when she travelled back to her homeland of Vietnam with her husband. For thousands of years, only male scholars were allowed to use calligraphy.

“Not many women knew how to use calligraphy then, but once I learned, I couldn’t stop. All wanted to do was write all day and all night,” says Khanh Diep.

She turned her passion into a business. For the fourth year, she has sold customized pieces from this booth at the Flower Festival at Asian Garden Mall in Westminster. The festival is held during the weeks leading up to Tet which is considered the most important celebration for the Vietnamese Community.

Her customers travel near and far to see her.

“I asked the calligrapher to write a few lines to wish my parents a happy New Year and for them to live a long and prosperous life,” says Trina Nguyen, who is visiting from Virginia.

So with every stroke, Khanh Diep’s talent makes her responsible for using art and penmanship to help people leave the bad luck in they experienced in the year behind them and to welcome good fortune in the new year. Despite the pressure, she says she’s lucky to be a part of everyone’s Lunar New Year.

For more information about Khanh Diep, visit her Facebook page here.