Arguably the oldest form of calligraphy is East Asian which is somewhere around five thousand years old. Calligraphy is called Shufa in China, Shodo in Japan, Seoye in Korea, and Thu Phap in Vietnam. There are a few other notable forms of calligraphy in history. Namely, Kufic for Arabic scripts, Asoka in Ancient India, and of course Medieval Latin scripts in Europe.
Calligraphy styles from all parts of the world began their practice as very block-like and then eventually became flowing scripts with connecting letters. The exception worth mentioning here is again those styles from East Asia. The alphabets in those countries are not constructed of letters. Each character is a separate word. For example, there is an estimated Forty-eight thousand plus characters in Chinese. The average speaker only really uses four thousand to six thousand characters but that's still a huge number compared to our words which are made up of only twenty-six characters. It is no wonder then that a little variation in the way a character is written is more acceptable in these languages. In Europe, for instance, it was frowned on to differ from the conventional alphabets used. Any blot in ink on paper is a transgression. The prevailing Asian view is quite different and much more artistic. An ink spot or run here or there, a slight variation in letter sizes, or any similar “mistake” is considered to be part of the process of artistic expression.
The demand for well done calligraphy is very low in modern times. Now, with just a few clicks in any computer and common word processor we can create a wide variety of “unique” text art. Unique enough to stand out to any average reader anyway.
Don't misunderstand. The lack of widespread interest in the arts of traditional calligraphy has led to a very interesting and unexpected result. Calligraphers of quality are now fewer in number but are now individually in demand. Worldwide there is a greater appreciation for their work as well. Calligraphy in its origin was the tool of professionals to grab attention and inspire envy but now it is appreciated for what it truly is, a beautiful and skillful art.
There are still masters in these arts who practice today. People who have had the methods passed down to them from teachers who had the art passed to them and so on. I personally find the art of calligraphy to be an extremely relaxing and therapeutic exercise. A mind calming practice that takes concentration and care. I think Edmund Burke said it best, “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”