Stories

[divider]

I love stories. I love learning about people. Putting the pieces together and learning who they are and why they do what they do. When I was taught the art of Calligraphy at the young age of twelve, I never dreamed a calligraphy business would be such a huge part of my story.

My mom took a local calligraphy class and came home and shared what she learned with me. I loved it. I would make special gifts for friends and my teachers would have me fill in certificates or write out poems. It was an artistic outlet and a hobby that I enjoyed for years and in 1997, I addressed all 325 of my own wedding invitations. It took me days! I found one of those recently. I laughed. I would be embarrased to send it today. But, I keep it because it’s part of my story.

In 2005, just after the birth of my youngest child, a sweet friend came to me. She knew we were struggling financially and she also knew that I did calligraphy. Her son was getting married and she wanted me to address the invitations. She wanted to pay me for it and told me to research it online, see how much people charged for such a thing and that she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

I remember it took me what felt like forever to get through them all. But I enjoyed it. I looked up a few professional calligraphers and I said, “I can totally do this! And still be at home with my kids!” I talked to my husband and within a week, I had a crude website up and running (it was 2005 after all) and I had some business cards printed. I have been non stop ever since.

It started out slow at first. Just part time, which was fine. I had a five year old and a four month old. I could be mom during the day and every evening after the kids would go to bed, I would sit and write. It became therapeutic for me. I absolutely fell in love with my job. With each year that went by, my business grew. My skills grew. I went from only knowing how to do one lettering style to having created more than twenty five! By 2016, I was working full time to keep up with the orders. I began teaching calligraphy classes and workshops in my area and found that I loved it all the more. I love telling my story.

I love helping my clients tell their story. Every project has one. I love hearing how my couples met and how he proposed. I love learning all about their wedding plans. I love helping to create a unique lettering style to pull their invitations together. I love the stories of how their guests reacted when they received that invitation in the mail or how they ooohed and aahhed over the mirrored seating chart.

I also love the non wedding stories. Like the sand dollars I wrote on that would become Christmas ornaments. A client’s loved one had passed away and their close friends and family got on a boat and watched as his ashes were spread into the sea. I wrote his name and the geographical coordinates of where they spread his ashes. What a special memory.

Or what about the group of friends who were all going to New York to celebrate a friend’s birthday. She loved sand dollars so we wrote everyone’s names on them with “Celebrating Anne’s 70th Birthday.” I found out later that Anne had ALS and they never expected her to make it to her 70th Birthday. That one hit home. My mom passed away from ALS in 2003. She never lived to see the business that was created because she shared what she learned with me.

I could tell you so many more. Each one unique. Each one so meaningful. I truly believe that nothing happens to us by accident. Everything has some purpose – some lesson to learn – something to hold on to. What story would you like to share? What do you want to remember? Let’s create a treasure that you can enjoy for years to come.

Come. Tell me your story.