As I gear up to have a baby in less than a month, I’ve been focusing a lot on my “first baby” — The Postman’s Knock. I started TPK in 2012, and, since then, it’s been a passion, a hobby, and a profession all at once! Even though I’ll have a human little one, I am determined that TPK will continue to flourish — both literally and figuratively. In this post, I’d like to share some behind-the-scenes things with you that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before. It’s fun for me to get to write about this type of stuff, so I hope that you enjoy reading it!
1. The Seed Idea for TPK Originated at an Office Job
I originally started The Postman’s Knock to offer my custom calligraphy and design services. The idea originated from an offhand remark made by a coworker at an office job I had … she said that she sometimes calligraphed addresses on wedding envelopes for some extra income.
My initial reaction was, “Wait a minute — people will pay you to do something that fun?” My next step was to just go for it. Within the next week, I had set up an Etsy shop, taken some rudimentary photos, and I was in business. The Etsy shop wasn’t necessarily profitable at first, but it operated like a paid internship … I had lots of clients who compensated me for my designs or services, and I learned a lot with every project that I took on!
2. I Had to Stop Taking on Custom Work in 2015
I never could have imagined that TPK would grow into the vibrant website/blog that it is today. That’s why I found myself conflicted in mid-2015. At that point, The Postman’s Knock was at a crossroads: I could either keep offering custom calligraphy and design services, or I could pour my concentration into the blog and making learning resources.
It was a tough call to make because some of my most fun and challenging projects were a result of collaborating with clients. While I hit the occasional snafu, the vast majority of the projects — and the relationships I formed with clients while making them — were incredibly rewarding. At the same time, I so enjoyed writing articles for this website and designing worksheets, eCourses, and other printables.
I decided that I could always go back to custom work if need be, and I shifted my full attention to the website. Now, I do take on a custom project here or there, but it’s usually done as a gift for family or friends. Occasionally, I’ll also accept work from a publisher provided that I like the publication and the project!
Cool fact: Every three minutes, someone somewhere in the world downloads a freebie TPK printable.
3. TPK Embraces DIY Photography
Before I started TPK, I scoffed at photography as an art form. Write out something beautiful, draw something beautiful — that takes time and skill! But taking a photo of something? How difficult is that? Turns out … pretty difficult. When I first began selling things on Etsy, my number one source of frustration was not having great photos that sold my work.
After years of experimentation and good old internet sleuthing, I’ve figured out what works for me as a “photographer” (I use the term loosely). I switched to a DSLR camera, a Nikon D3300, and I have a tripod with a horizontal arm. A couple of studio lights help me to ensure that the subject is nice and illuminated! I have to admit that I usually use auto settings that I don’t completely understand, but the photos have a way of turning out just fine once I edit them in Photoshop.
Cool fact: I bought the desk pictured above from the Goodwill for a $1. It was going to start raining, they were packed with furniture drop-offs, and they wanted to get rid of things fast! Hernán refinished the desk for me, and it turned out to be the perfect desk for my photography space.
4. To Do Lists Keep The Postman’s Knock Going
Most mornings, I pull out my notebook, jot down the date, and write a few tasks for myself. Each task gets a blank box beside it, and when that task is complete, the box gets checked. As I go about my day, I may jot down some notes to remind myself about a photo I want to post to social media or non-TPK-related things I need to do.
Each box that gets checked gives me happiness and satisfaction. If I end the day with a list full of checked boxes, it was a great day! I have learned, however, that not every day has to be a “checked boxes” day. If I can’t check all the boxes, that’s okay — I just try to finish them up the next day!
5. There is a Method to the Madness
You may not have noticed, but TPK follows a routine like clockwork. On Sunday evenings, I write the TPK Monday newsletter, which only goes out to subscribers. On Mondays, I write the Tuesday blog post, which typically focuses on lists or information. On Thursdays, I write the Friday blog post, which is usually a tutorial blog post — I guess I’ve made an exception today!
The rest of my days are spent making social media posts and working on at least one big project. My current project is re-vamping The Letter Writer’s Complete Resource, which I hope to finish next month. Such a predictable schedule may not work for everyone, but it helps me to feel like I’m on top of things!
6. Time Management Has Been a Learning Process
When I first started The Postman’s Knock, nothing could stop me from working all day and night! I developed wedding invitation designs in a frenzy, stayed up until the wee hours making calligraphy, and posted to social media as much as I could. If I had to choose between eating a meal and working on a project, I’d always choose working on the project. My classic American reasoning was that successful people are busy, and of course I wanted to be successful.
Today, I realize that one of the benefits of having your own business is getting to choose what to do with your time. I could easily find things to do to fill my day to the brim now, but what’s the rush? Instead, I’ve slowed down a lot. I make sure I sit down to eat three meals per day, get out of the house to exercise at least an hour a day, and I try to maximize my time working on projects and blog posts. Before, a task like writing a blog post used to take me hours because I allowed myself to take frequent breaks to check social media, text a friend, or write emails. Now, I keep social media and email tabs closed and my phone out of sight if I’m working on a project. That really helps me to focus on — and thoroughly enjoy making — whatever I’m working on!
7. Inspiration Never Ceases
There are times when I wonder if I’ll ever simply run out of things to write about. As of right now, the TPK blog has over 500 posts on it. Five hundred! And yet, sources of inspiration like books, Pinterest, and Instagram continue to prompt and fuel blog post ideas. Readers have also provided a plethora of topics! Every so often, I may ask for topic requests in a newsletter or on social media, and people always have such great ideas.
Maybe the day will come when the well of content has dried up — who knows? But for now, I still very much enjoy writing and getting to feed off of others’ creative energy!
8. Creativity is Still My Hobby
I think that people often fear turning their hobby into a business because the hobby will no longer be pleasurable. I’ve been working on The Postman’s Knock for 6+ years, and that never happened to me. If I have spare time, I usually seize it to work on some sort of personal artistic project!
Right now, for example, I’m making a hybrid bullet journal. My checklist notebook is just about to run out of pages, so I’ve started to make some pretty pages in a new notebook. I started two days ago, and this is what I’ve got so far! I thought I’d break the brand-new notebook in with things that make me happy: eye-catching lettering, an inspirational quote, some illustrations, and … cheesily, I know … photos of my husband and me.
My hope is that you garnered some inspiration from this blog post, or at least learned some interesting things about TPK that you may not have known before! If you have any questions, I’m always glad to answer. In the meantime, I hope that you have a fantastic weekend, and I thank you very much for reading! If you’re a subscriber, we’ll reconvene on Monday (look for a giveaway announcement in the newsletter), and if not, you can check back here on Tuesday for another blog post!
Warmly,
I am one year into my calligraphy practice and your work and, more importantly, your story of how TPK came about, is my inspiration! I am taking a “break” right now from my career to raise my 3 little ones, and calligraphy has been my creative outlet turned questionable profitable business! I love reading your blog posts and feel so inspired with how something you enjoy so much turned into something more. Thank you for all of your hard work to completely inspire people like me and good luck to you and your husband! Motherhood is crazy, but the most amazing job you’ll ever have 🙂
Thank you so much for reading! I’m so glad you enjoy the blog and that it’s able to provide a creative escape for you, and thanks for the inspiration on motherhood! We’re so excited and it’s wonderful to know that we’ll have TPK readers like you along with us for the crazy ride!! 😀
I love youe blog and happy inspiration. I especially love learning about better tools and inks. I am so anxious to try youe suggested to ink to make my thins thinner! Thank you for your coaching. Love You
Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot! 🙂
You inspire me every day! I love your blog and am so happy you decided to write, inspire and create “how tos” for people like me who love to learn! THANK YOU
Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with the blog! 😀
Thanks for sharing about yourself. You have been my inspiration to begin modern calligraphy. I haven’t gone far though.
Thank you so much! I hope you continue to find the blog helpful as you go forward 🙂
Oh my god, I love that photography desk you have! And to think you got it for a buck??? What an amazing find! Btw, thanks for sharing with us how you take those amazing photos!
Right!? It’s incredible! Thank you for reading! 🙂
As someone who is trying to write their own blog, this post is very informative! Thanks again for being willing to share your knowledge. 🙂
Thank you so much! Good luck with pursuing your blog! 🙂
Congratulations! I love reading your blog and seeing what you’re working on. I’m justing starting to journal…mostly with a focus on Nature. I am teaching this to my daughter as well. (We homeschool)
Thank you! A journal is so much fun and I’m sure you’ll enjoy keeping it up! 😀
Congratulations on your new baby! Thank you for always putting out excellent works.
Thank you so much for the good wishes! 😀
I loved reading the behind the scenes article. An interesting account of your business!
Congratulations!!! How wonderful for you both 🙂
Your blogs are so inspirational! Makes me want to drop everything and go practice.
I don’t know how you excel at time management; as a mother of four , I manage to get everything done, including volunteer work, but rarely have time for anything else. With your encouragement, I am certainly going to try and carve out some “me time” that amounts to more than a shower!
Thank you for reading! ‘Me time’ is so crucial and I hope you manage to squeeze in some time to develop your own interests… being a mother of four must be such hard work!! 😉
Thank you for reading! 🙂
Congratulations! Will you be making calligraphed baby announcements? 🙂 Thank you for all the great guidance with this craft.
N. Speidel
I haven’t decided yet! I’m thinking I want to play it by ear after he’s born — and see how much time he gives me to be creative! 🙂
Congratulations on your first child and your blog!
Thank you! 😀
I love your blog and I love how transparent you are in your posts!
Thank you! 😀
Hi Lindsey,
I love each and every post. They’re all filled with so much information and never cease to inspire me to do more. Please keep them coming 🙂 Much love, Bernie.
Thank you so much for reading! 😀
This is such an interesting read, I love your ‘to do’ list, SO much neater than mine. I do like the satisfaction of striking things through when I’ve done them though, I’m not sure a check box would be enough for me!
Wishing you all the best with the new arrival, your whole life WILL be turned upside down for a while, just go with it and know that a little time for you and the things you love will return eventually!
‘To do’ lists are such an incredible tool- they’re wonderful at making you feel like you’ve accomplished something meaningful with every box checked (or line struck through). Thank you for the good wishes! 🙂
This post was really inspiring. I enjoyed getting a “behind-the-scenes” look at TPK. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Really loved getting a peek at the behind the scenes of TPK! I especially appreciated your insight on being one’s own boss. I work from home and time management has definitely been a struggle. I often wake up and get straight to work without eating anything. This was a reminder to slow down and take care of myself because in doing so, my work will be better and I’ll be more efficient.
Wonderful! I’m so happy I could help a fellow at-home-worker! 🙂
Love, love, love hearing about the BTS process, especially the checklist. There really is just something so satisfying about checking something off. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
Agreed! Thank you for reading!
I love how freely you share from all your experiences! Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for reading! 😀
Thanks for sharing! This is really inspiring. Yay!
Lindsey, good luck in the next few months with your new baby! Wishing you and your husband the very best,
Thank you so much! 🙂
Thank you so much!
Reading this post just makes me excited for the possible baby related creations you’ll come up with. Ahh! You guys will be great parents. 🙂
Thank you so much, we’re very excited!! 😀
Lindsey,
I’ve been receiving your blog posts for a couple of years and it is my very favorite blog to read of all time! You are the most diligent at making every post so special and meaningful! I read a lot of blogs where the information is often minimal or the writer seems tired or in a hurry… but your posts are always thoughtful, complete and so well done I am amazed! Thank you for everything you give to all of us calligraphers out there! I save every post and go back and read them often! Best wishes on your new family – health and happiness to you both!
Serafina from Whidbey Island, Washington
Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with the blog! I’m so glad you enjoy it! 😀
So much inspiration in this post, but I love that you gave us a look behind the scenes at TPK. I seriously love all that you do! I’m super excited that you’re about to be a mommy. Your whole life is about to change! Wishing you the best!
Luv your posts
You are fantastic. Thank you for showing me how to get started. Congratulations on the new baby!
It’s good to hear that your enjoyment in producing beautiful art hasn’t diminished because you’re also making a living from it. I’m planning to go that route myself and would be very sad if the fun went away. Thank you for what you’re doing!!
I really admire the approach you take with your business. You can always see your passion for art coming through as well as an openness that makes me feel like you’re writing to each person who follows the blog.
I love calligraphy.
Loved this post!
I love to-do lists as well, and your work is beautiful!
Loved your story and bedt of luck with your new cutie when he/she arrives!
Ok here’s a hilarious thing. I got the newsletter and was like “man that photography is exceptional” and I’m so pleased to learn it’s so DIY. The things you can do with table lamps always astound me
Thanks for all the creative encouragement!
Love to hear your story and your ideas, your art is inspirational. Good luck with the little one… Any chance of nursery themed posts in the near future….?
Hi Amanda! We didn’t make a nursery — I’m too in love with our upstairs guest bedroom, so he’s getting a corner of our bedroom. 🙂 But I’m sure I’ll be focusing on some kid-themed posts in the future (coloring pages, perhaps, or, when he gets older, ways to teach your child calligraphy)!
Thanks for sharing your development journey! Such an inspiration for those of us hoping to transition into something new in the future!!!
Thanks for reading! 😀
Lindsey,
You are so creative and such an inspiration! =D
Thanks for all the inspiration! Congratulations on your first baby!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I enjoy reading the blog.
Congrats on baby.
Jennifer
I’ve purchased several worksheets and even gotten the paper you recommend …love it…so with all that….how many hours aday should you practices??
It all depends on you! This is a great article to help you decide. 🙂
You can’t imagine how all this little things amuse me every day, I really love your work Lindsey. ♥️🔝
Thank you for reading!
Hi Lindsey!
How did you price your custom calligraphy artwork?
Thanks,
Sreshta
Hi Sreshta! I didn’t do a good job of pricing — but I usually just tried to think about how long it would take me, and based on what I came up with, I tried to compensate myself with a $25/hour rate.
I love reading all the information that you put out for everyone. I also enjoy learning more about you 😊
Thank you for reading- I’m happy to help! 🙂
Love your site and all the wonderful information!
Thank you for reading! 🙂