When I Grow Up: Becoming a Calligrapher

Hey guys! Today I want to introduce you to Joy Deneen. She's a calligrapher and artist who currently resides in Montréal. She's originally from California and has an interesting story of how she went from a degree in theater to a career as a calligrapher! Let's read about it now.
 

As a child, I wanted to be an author when I grew up.

 How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? While I’m not an author, I write words every day!

What is your official job title? Proprétaire and calligrapher at imaginejoy calligraphie.

Ok, now what does that really mean? I have my own calligraphy business in Montréal, Québec.  I specialize in modern calligraphy and hand lettered details for weddings and special events.  I also offer classes and private lessons for beginners.

credit: Emilie Iggiotti
 

What is a typical day like? Every day varies, given the nature of my custom commissions.  Depending on the day of the week, I could be teaching a calligraphy class, meeting with clients or going to work onsite for an event.  A “typical” day usually begins with administrative tasks in the morning – answering emails, writing contracts and handling accounting.  I typically start on calligraphy work in the afternoon, which usually spills into the evening.

credit: Emilie Iggiotti

How did you end up in this career? In 1999, I moved to Los Angeles to get my bachelor’s degree in theatre at UCLA.  The program was the perfect mix of my interests in writing, design, production and history.  I developed a love for theatrical makeup and special effects and worked as a makeup artist for a few years. However, it was my desire for structure and a steady paycheck that led me to a place where I never envisioned myself – working in commercial real estate finance.  While I have a strong administrative side, compliance checklists and audits could never be construed as creative work.  However, I am grateful for the skills I learned related to accounting, business systems and dealing with demanding clientele. 

It was during my time at the bank that my journey into the world of calligraphy began.  One Christmas, my brother gave me a box of nibs, a bottle of ink and a copy of Modern Mark Making by Lisa Engelbrecht.  I was swept away by the book and soon learned that Lisa was a part of the Society for Calligraphy, a guild in Southern California.  I showed up to a meeting, bright eyed and eager, not knowing a single soul in the room. It was a wonderful surprise to be welcomed with open arms.  I enrolled in classes and workshops and haven’t looked back since! As time passed, I began to take on commissions.  My creative life was flourishing again. 

In 2013, my husband Michael got a job opportunity in Montréal.  Both of us are native Californians and had talked for several years about our desire to one day live in a different state.  At the time of the job offer, we had only been married for six months and knew that it was the perfect time in our lives to set out on a new adventure.  And suddenly, all of the years I spent studying French became very relevant!  The move was also a wonderful opportunity for me to start fresh and establish my calligraphy business as a full-time endeavor.

credit: Emilie Iggiotti
 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? My calligraphy education began in the form of small group classes, studying Copperplate, and I went on to take numerous workshops covering a wide array of styles. I am a perpetual student, so I’m always seeking out learning opportunities. I’m very excited to attend the annual IAMPETH conference this summer – a full week of calligraphy classes with the masters!

credit: imaginejoy calligraphie

 What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? If you are new to calligraphy, take advantage of all of the resources out there.  Join your local calligraphy guild, take as many in-person classes as possible and start a habit of daily practice.  When it comes to launching your business, be sure to establish clear terms and procedures. In the realm of custom work, booking deposits and contracts are vital!

 Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? Going back to my childhood dream, I would still love to write a book.  As a child, I envisioned writing novels but I’ve found that I really love interviewing other artists and learning about their journey and creative processes.

credit: imaginejoy calligraphie
 

 Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? One of my favorite quotes is from Picasso:  “All children are born artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Can you identify an interest or fascination that you’ve had ever since you were a child?  Our passions are often evident at a very young age, but they will usually evolve over time.  I’ve found that it is incredibly helpful to reflect upon your goals in writing, be it through journaling or making lists. 

credit: Emilie Iggiotti

Thank you for sharing your story Joy! I love that Picasso quote so much :) Please visit Joy's website, Imagine Joy, for more information or if you are interested in her services. I wish I'd known about her before our wedding!

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

I Said Brrr...

Anyone else remember that ridiculous cheer? It's one of the things that I'm afraid will be forever stuck in my brain. Some day I'll be 75 years old and unable to remember why I left my keys, but I will always chant "Brr, it's cold in here. There must be some Toros in the atmosphere." Thanks Bring it On. 

Really though, it is cold in here! Or rather, out there. We didn't get much snow yesterday, but it was definitely snowing on me on my drive in to work this morning. Yes, I'm back at the office today, but I wish I was at home sitting in front of the fire. That's how I spent last Monday and it was delightful. Is there anything better than a fire on a freezing cold day?

No, no there is not!

But alas, not every day can be a home in your PJs in front of a fire day. (Wouldn't that be lovely, though?) 

Ok, I didn't write this just to whine about the cold. I know most of the country is fighting the same thing right now. No, I also want to tell you about a great deal! 

My blogger friend Joey Hodges self-published a book, Yeah, Maybe, and it is on sale for only $1.99 this week! If you're interested in an awesome book at an unbeatable price, head over to Amazon to snatch it up. You'll be supporting an awesome lady!

For those of you wondering what it is about, here ya go!

For quiet, reserved, and focused 15 year old Annie Mackey, school was a sanctuary.  But when her bubbly and beautiful neighborhood best friend joins her at Willow Point High for freshmen year, her world is turned upside down.

Everything Annie could count on for stability is shattered, and she's left feeling more alone than ever before.

Just when she's about to lose all hope, someone unexpected swoops in and gives her a much needed lesson in perspective.

I hope you're staying warm this Monday, friends. Have a great week!

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

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100 Rejections. Ten Months. | Thirty Before 30

Rejection is terrifying, isn’t it? To be perfectly honest, my fear of rejection is one of the reasons I ended up going back to accounting as a day job. I was terrified of sending out emails to the magazines and websites that I really wanted to write for. I was even approached to be a contributor to an up-and-coming website, and I was too scared to send them a couple of articles. Fear is a nasty thing, y'all.

Now, I could take that overwhelming fear of rejection as a sign that doing my own thing isn't for me. But that is so not true. When I did put myself out there, I had a pretty great success rate! The first client I ever landed is still a client nearly four years later. I've turned a profit in my business every year, even the past years when it has been a part-time thing.

The funny thing is, rejection doesn't bother me in most other areas of my life. Not everyone is going to like me, and that’s ok. I haven’t gotten every job I’ve applied for, I haven’t befriended everyone that I wanted to, and I haven’t always succeeded. And that is totally ok.

But for some reason I'm terrified of rejection when it comes to my writing. Perhaps because I feel so strongly that it is what I am supposed to be doing. I've been writing in one form or fashion since I learned how to hold a pencil and string letters together. I have notebooks full of stories that I wrote for fun in elementary school. As a kid I spent a summer sitting in front of a computer writing a "novel".

Writing is what I love to do. And I'm terrified of being told I'm not good enough. I’m afraid someone will tell me that I’m being ridiculous, that I have no business submitting to their website or publication, and that I am just wasting everyone’s time.

I'm tired of being afraid. I'm going to turn 30 this year, and I'm getting too damn old to worry about rejection and what people think. Ok, I know 30 isn't that old. But I think 30 is the age when you begin to realize how much time you wasted in your 20s wondering what people thought. You realize what is important, and what is important to me is being a writer.

So now that I’m staring 30 in the face, I’ve decided to challenge myself to receive 100 rejections before my birthday. I have to submit/apply/audition for 100 things. For instance, I submitted a pitch to Hello Giggles last week. And even before I submitted that pitch, I asked a blogger I know via social media to review the pitch, as she'd written for them before. I was sure she would say no, but she didn't! Instead she looked it over and gave me some great feedback. It was a great example of why it is worth trying. Sometimes the answer is yes!

As it turns out, there is actually a woman out there who has a whole coaching program on this 100 Rejection Letters thing. I really thought the idea just came to me, but maybe I'd heard it mentioned somewhere before. I listen to a lot of podcasts, so I could've picked up the idea from something I heard. Once I realized this was a thing, I checked it out. Her program sounds interesting, but it is a year long program that started last fall so I missed the boat. Which is totally fine. I wanted to do this for myself.

And I am! I'm not focusing on rejection letters, per se. No, my goal isn't quite that narrow. I don't want to just send 100 pitches to magazines. I want to put myself out there in more ways than that. I want to get some big names to agree to be featured in my When I Grow Up series. I want to land my dream client. And ok, I do want to pitch to some magazines. My goal is to put myself out there and received 100 rejections in the less than 10 months until my birthday.

I'll keep a running tally as a I go, and I'll try to do monthly recaps on the blog. But first, any advice for me? I know rejection therapy is a thing, anyone ever tried it?

If you're interested in learning more about my writing and editing business, you can head to www.jbryantcreative.com and poke around :)

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...