Listen to a PODCAST version of this post on Apple Podcast or on Spotify If you’re a calligrapher or artist wanting to sell products at holiday markets, craft fairs, and flea markets, WELCOME! Here’s my best advice for making the most of your experience, based on my own success at various markets all around Los Angeles. These markets helped me make money, find customers and really launch my business out into the world! 1) Your First Craft Fair: Lessons from UniqueLA UniqueLA is a premier pop-up market in Los Angeles. It was my first market and it TAUGHT ME SO MUCH. Here's a snapshot of my ..read more

Listen to a PODCAST version of this post on Apple Podcast or Spotify “Can I sell some of my calligraphy without making it an official business?” How do you decide whether to treat your craft as a hobby or register it as an official business? It can be a tough decision - one that impacts your creative fulfillment, growth opportunities, and financial/legal consequences. So here’s some help from a former corporate lawyer on how to make that call. *****DISCLAIMER: This information only applies to the U.S., where I’m based. Other countries will have their own requirements. I am not a practicing at ..read more

Listen to a PODCAST version of this post on Apple Podcast or Spotify Starting a modern calligraphy side business can seem daunting with all the legal and financial logistics involved. But fear not, creative friends! Today, I’m breaking it down into manageable steps to help you transition from hobbyist to professional calligrapher with confidence. =Disclaimer: I am not a practicing attorney or a tax expert. Please consult your own lawyer or accountant for individualized advice= TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: LEGAL ESSENTIALS - 1) Choose a Business Name - 2) Decide on a Legal Structure - 3) Business ..read more

Can I write these song lyrics/ poems/ movie quotes in calligraphy, or am I violating copyright laws? I’m using my corporate lawyer brain to explain as simply and clearly as possible! 40 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WITH CALLIGRAPHY - free PDF! Wanna turn your calligraphy hobby into cash? Download my list of 40+ potential ways that you can make money with calligraphy! Just enter your email below and the PDF will get sent right to your inbox ;) Woohoo! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and download your free PDF. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Addr ..read more

Writing calligraphy in a straight line is SUPER HARD - can I get an amen? So I’ve put together my favorite tips and tools to help you do it! You can click below to watch the VIDEO TUTORIAL, or keep reading for just the highlights. CLICKABLE TOOLS LIST + GUIDELINE SHEET I put all the tools I recommend in this video into an easy, clickable guide - so you know exactly where to buy them! It also has a free calligraphy guideline sheet included, so you can get perfectly straight, consistent calligraphy. This guide is a part of my FREE CALLIGRAPHY RESOURCE LIBRARY! Just enter your email below and yo ..read more

OVERALL FAVORITE GOLD CALLIGRAPHY INK: Dr. Ph Martin’s Iridescent My very first gold calligraphy ink was a Finetec palette and I thought it was fabulous and that was that. Well, holy crap, I had no idea there were so many different KINDS of gold ink out there! Today, I'm reviewing seven of them and picking an overall favorite =) Instead of buying 7 full bottles of gold ink, I purchased a GOLD INK SAMPLER SET (Set 1) from John Neal Bookseller. It's a great way to sample 6 different gold inks to choose your favorite. I already had PearlEx, so I threw in a review of that as well. First up:  ..read more

If you’re reading this article, it means that calligraphy is calling to you. You’ve seen it and you want to do it.  BUT! Maybe you’ve tried googling “how to learn calligraphy” and there are five million different tutorials.  Or you’ve watched an “intro to calligraphy” video and it shows you how to use a marker - not a calligraphy pen.  Or you’ve downloaded a “calligraphy tools” guide and there are a dozen different types of pens for you to choose from.  Or you went ahead and bought some tools - but goddamnit! - they’re just not working right.  Hey, I get it ..read more

If you’re reading this article, it means that calligraphy is calling to you. You’ve seen it and you want to do it.  BUT! Maybe you’ve tried googling “how to learn calligraphy” and there are five million different tutorials.  Or you’ve watched an “intro to calligraphy” video and it shows you how to use a marker - not a calligraphy pen.  Or you’ve downloaded a “calligraphy tools” guide and there are a dozen different types of pens for you to choose from.  Or you went ahead and bought some tools - but goddamnit! - they’re just not working right.  Hey, I get it ..read more

I recently did 12 free business coaching sessions with budding CREATIVE entrepreneurs... and every single one of them STRUGGLED WITH THE SAME DAMN problemS. So I broke them down into categories: 1) PRE-DECISION: A) COMPARE & DESPAIR - “Whenever I scroll on Instagram, I get discouraged.” I compare myself to everyone else and think, ‘oh, they’re already doing the idea I had.. why bother?’ ? IMPOSTER SYNDROME lives here and stops inspiration in its tracks. B) ALL OR NOTHING - “I have a great idea, but I feel like I have to figure out alllll the tiniest details before I even get started ..read more

I used to wake up each morning and think “I have to post on instagram”… These days, I’m taking a different approach. I’m going SLOWER. Today, I decided to pick some flowers from my front yard before I sat down to create anything. And being out there in the sun, amongst the bees and purples… that inspired me to create some calligraphy for Instagram. Here’s what I wrote in the caption of the IG POST: “Hurry”… they said, and that’s what I did. Hurried through childhood, kept busy through my teens, flew frantically through college and law school, then worked my hours away in a small glass offic ..read more