For a couple of years, I’ve noticed bullet journal spread upon bullet journal spread popping up on my Pinterest feed. It’s hard not to be intrigued by the concept: basically, a bullet journal helps to keep you organized. Like, to a ridiculous but wonderful degree! You can keep track of books you want to read, movies you want to watch, water intake, meals, anything.
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This was one of the very first calligraphy projects that I took on (2013)!
Today, I want to focus on a question that I often receive via email: “How do you know if you’re ready to sell your calligraphy?” The answer is that you will probably never feel completely ready, and that’s okay. If you fit the following criteria, however, selling your calligraphy is certainly worth a go!
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There are people out there who have a wonderful minimalistic approach to storage. Go to my mother’s house, for example, open up any closet, and you’ll see a sparse, neat, and effective organization system. I so admire that dedication to simplicity! In my own home, however, closed doors and drawers hold a little bit too much temptation. I cram it all in! This weekend, though, I resolved to go through (some of) the clutter.
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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!
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If you enjoy working with a dip pen, then you may be interested in selling calligraphy. In addition to providing you with a bit of income, selling your calligraphy can give you extra practice and exercise your creativity in a new way as an entrepreneur! In this article, you’ll find six ways to get noticed when selling calligraphy.
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I was hesitant to write this post because I know so many creative people, and I discover new artists/calligraphers/makers almost daily. The post’s title implies that I only know of eight people who are worthy of note, when the reality is that there are hundreds. Still, I decided to go ahead because I think that you’ll find every person on this list just as interesting as I do! So, here they are, in alphabetical order:
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Last week, I posted a throwback article called 10 Items That I Successfully Sold on Etsy. Writing that post offered a fun trip down memory lane, and I think that people were able to draw some inspiration from it! This week, I’d like to continue that throwback theme by sharing some of the mistakes that I made as a freelance artist and calligrapher. I hope that you can learn from my mishaps if you decide to take on any freelance work, whether it’s just on the side or as part of a full-time gig!
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In 2012, I decided to start an Etsy shop called “The Postman’s Knock”, and I quit my day job (read the full story here). The idea behind the Etsy shop was this: I could design stationery and write out custom envelope calligraphy for people, which they would be delighted to receive when they heard “the postman’s knock” at their door. Eventually, the Etsy shop evolved into so much more than that — now, TPK is mainly a blog and learning resource — but, like everyone, I started somewhere. I tried a lot of things and put myself out there before I felt completely ready, which is just what you have to do! Here are some of the items that I used to sell, some of which you may be surprised at. Without these now-retired items, TPK as we know it wouldn’t exist!
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If you’re confident in your calligraphy abilities and want to use them to make extra cash, it may be time to address envelopes for clients! If you’re at that point, I’d recommend reading two articles first: How to Make Extra Income Selling Calligraphy and 8 Tips for Starting a Calligraphy Business. Once you’ve read those articles, you should be ready to start advertising your services! But what do you do once someone reaches out to hire you (and ultimately decides to work with you)? This article endeavors to answer that question!
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January is a month of new beginnings. After the “holidaze” clears, you’re left with the clarity and focus to make and start working toward new goals! If one of your goals is to become a creative entrepreneur this year, you’ll enjoy this post. In it, we’ll hear from Jess Greenleaf, proprietress of Greenleaf & Blueberry, who makes and sells natural watercolors.
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