Staff: SNSD, Girls’ Generation has been written in various typefaces for every concert and release. You tried out an artistic style of calligraphy, how was the experience?

Yoona: It was the first time I tried calligraphy, but I thought it was very cute from the usual. However, actually trying it out was difficult (laughs)

Staff: You just looked at what the teacher wrote and tried writing at first, but afterwards you got pretty good at it.

Yoona: It was interesting to see the appeal of writing with a calligraphy pen! But as I thought you need a lot of practice to write it well…

Staff: You concentrated very well, are you the type to usually concentrate?

Yoona: Yes, I believe I concentrate on one thing if I get into it!

Staff: It feels like calligraphy is a type of drawing; do you usually draw pictures?

Yoona: I’m really bad at drawing pictures.
I’m so bad at it I don’t really like drawing (laughs). Today I didn’t think of it as pictures, I just held the image of writing characters.

Staff: It seemed like you were a little troubled when the teacher said to practice cursive.

Yoona: I actually never really wrote it before…
I thought that it would be difficult to write it with a normal pen (and not a calligraphy pen).

Staff: Which did you like using, the fountain pen or calligraphy pen?

Yoona: Using a pen that you dip in ink at first really had the appeal of feeling like calligraphy, but writing with it was more difficult.

Staff: Please share if there was anything difficult or anything you spent a lot of time fussing on.

Yoona: Differences come out depending on the amount of ink. Because of that, even when I thought I was writing something well, in the middle suddenly a lot of ink would come out and make a mess…(laughs).
I think that while using it a lot, I have to grasp how to adjust the amount of ink… it was too bad that the lesson ended before I could get it.
I feel as if there’s something a little missing from the card design that I made (laughs)
I want to try it out just a bit more!

Staff: You designed with masking tape and calligraphy pens, etc., but compared to writing characters which was more interesting? 

Yoona: It was more interesting to write characters.
Design requires artistic talent, right? (laughs)
Actually, calligraphy’s main point is characters. Of course it is difficult, but on choosing to practice design or characters, I’d want to practice characters more.
I don’t think it’s something you can get after one or two times (laugh)

Staff: We prepared a lot of pens and tools for the calligraphy lesson this time, but do you usually like writing supplies/stationary?

Yoona: Yes! When I was a student I carried around pens organized by thickness and color.
However, recently I use ballpoint pens and felt tip markers for signatures the most. When reading scripts I often use red ballpoint pens or highlighters.

Staff: Besides pens, what other stationary do you like using?

Yoona: I usually buy a lot of cards and stock them. Like message cards.
I like to hand write letters, so I always leave some cards at home and write messages for special days like birthdays and give them to people around me.

Staff: What writing tool do you usually carry around?

Yoona: Recently I’ve always been carrying around pens that have multiple colors in one (laughs).
I use them to check scripts. After graduating school, I’ve come to only carry around things related to work (laughs).

Staff: Do you have a favored writing tool that you tried out today?

Yoona: I really liked the pen that used ink, but I think it’s a difficult tool to use by myself if I can’t properly learn it.
I have a feeling that calligraphy is best if you get an expert to write it for you. (laughs). 
Besides that, it was really fun to try out the unique watercolor pen.

Staff: If the members had the same calligraphy lesson, who do you think would have the best work? Please give a reason, too.

Yoona: I think Taeyeon unnie. 
She’s also good at drawing and has talent for this type of design!

Staff: Hand written messages, as it also includes expression and design, can convey your thoughts with a different expression than with spoken word. In what kind of scene, do you want to convey the message using the design and calligraphy from today?

Yoona: I like to write letters, so giving a message written in calligraphy for someone’s anniversary is nice, and I think it’d be interesting to try writing calligraphy directly for a SNSD album title. But that’s if I had just a little more aptitude…(laughs)
It seems fun to have an event where I would give albums with my calligraphy on it to fans. However my ability is still….

Staff: I heard that on the last day of shooting a drama you would give hand written letters to the staff.

Yoona: That’s an episode from my first drama where I was the lead.
I had a list of goals that I wanted to try for first lead role in a drama, and hand writing letters to all of the staff was one of the goals. So I actually wrote and sent letters. But, there were a lot of staff members, and while shooting I had to write letters, so it was very difficult with no spare time. Nevertheless, after that during drama shooting if someone’s anniversary coincided with that time I would write a letter. During a drama that finished shooting recently, it was Valentine’s Day so I gave the staff chocolate. V-day just happened to be on a day that I was shooting a scene…I just had to give chocolate (laughs). I like preparing something for people whether it is letters or chocolate.

Staff: Now, if you were to give someone a hand written message, who would you send it to? Family, members, what kind message card would you want to send?

Yoona: Just at the calligraphy lesson, I only practiced “SONE JAPAN”, so I can only think of SONE JAPAN (laughs).
Also, I want to write a message in calligraphy for myself and decorate my home.
Write something with good sense like a cute sentence or saying. I don’t have a sense of design, so maybe just characters would be better (laughs). Simple is best.

Staff: If there’s anything that you’re into now or recently come to collect, please share.

Yoona: Recently I’ve been taking half body baths. Before I would only take them sometimes, but recently it’s been quite often.
When I went to Japan the other day, I bought a lot of bathing powder for bathing organized by color. I stocked up my home (laughs). 
Half body baths are good for the skin, moreover since I have a weak stomach, my condition improves once I warm my stomach. Also, especially during shooting in the winter, I can loosen my body that hardened in the cold. I take them several times a week.

Staff: This year in April you had the drama fan meeting, so how was it to have an event in Japan after a long time? Please share if there’s an episode that left an impression with you outside of the event.

Yoona: It really had been a long time since having an event in Japan, so I was surprised that so many people came. 
There were two fan meets and I was very moved that all the seats were filled. They even sent pretty flowers…I was so happy that I wanted to take pictures of everything and upload it up on SNS.
Also, I like Japan because it has a lot of delicious food and the shopping is fun! When I last went, work ended late so I mainly went to eat ramen (laughs). 
Ah, I also had BBQ. It was so good~.

Staff: This year is SNSD’s 10th anniversary; looking back is there anything that left an impression?

Yoona: I often think of the experiences in Japan. 
The arena tours especially left the most memories. The Tokyo Dome concert is also dear to me.

Staff: Please share if there’s anything that you feel SNSD has grown or changed as a group or individually for the 10th anniversary.

Yoona: I believe that we have matured as a group and individually. I feel like we have the composure for anything. 

Staff: Finally, a message for SONE JAPAN please!

Yoona: It was too bad that we were only able to meet for a short time at an event in Japan. I think it’d be great if chances to go back to Japan and see you all increase, and I’m very happy that you don’t forget about us and always give us your support. This year is SNSD’s 10th anniversary, but it’s not just us, I want to say the words ‘congratulations’ to all the fans.
Everyone, thank you always. 

Source: SONE JAPAN website