People ask me this all the time — how did you get into calligraphy? And the honest answer is: I needed something for myself.
That might sound simple, but it's really the heart of it.
I Left My Career to Stay Home - and Quickly Realized I Needed More
For years, I was a kindergarten teacher. It was my passion. I loved the classroom, I loved the kids, I loved the act of teaching something new to someone who didn't know it yet. When I had my first son, I made the choice to stay home rather than go back to work — and I don't regret that for a single second. Being a mom is my greatest joy.
But a few months in, I realized something about myself: I am someone who needs to be busy. I need to create. The dishes and the laundry and the beautiful chaos of motherhood filled my days, but there was this quiet corner of me that needed an outlet — something that was mine.
I had always been a little obsessed with handwriting and fonts. I'd been playing around with different scripts in my journals and notebooks for years, just naturally, the way some people doodle. I never thought much of it. But once I finally sat down with the right tools and actually learned the fundamentals of calligraphy — the proper pen, the proper ink, the proper technique — something clicked. I was immediately, completely hooked.
The Moment Everything Changed
There is something almost meditative about pointed pen calligraphy. The act of dipping the nib, feeling the ink flow, watching a word take shape stroke by stroke — it quieted everything else. For a mom of littles with a busy mind and a full house, that stillness felt like a gift.
I started with brush lettering and fell in love. Then I found my way into traditional pointed pen calligraphy — copperplate, Spencerian, Madarasz, italic — and that's where I discovered my true passion. These are classical scripts with centuries of history behind them, and the discipline and beauty of learning them properly felt meaningful in a way I hadn't expected.
I opened my Etsy shop in 2017, and what I found there surprised me: I had a passion for entrepreneurship that I didn't know I had. Creating something of my own — building something — gave me a satisfaction that went beyond the art itself. I tried everything in those early days. Wood signs. Pop-up shops. Craft fairs. Greeting cards. Watercolor. Weddings. Vendor booths. I threw myself into every corner of the calligraphy world to figure out where I belonged.
It Was Not a Smooth Road
I want to be honest about this, because I think it matters.
In the beginning, I said yes to everything. I didn't know how to value myself as an artist, and I didn't yet have the business skills to match the creative ones. I ran myself completely into the ground just trying to keep up with every request coming in. It wasn't sustainable — but I was learning.
And then, in 2019, life changed dramatically. I found out I was expecting triplets. I was placed on permanent bed rest and ran my small business from a hospital bed because it was the one thing I could hold onto that felt like me. When the triplets were born — giving me four sons under the age of five — I had to set the business aside entirely and pour everything into my family.
That season taught me something invaluable: my time is worth something. When I came back to Simply Lettered Studio, I came back with clarity. I narrowed my focus to the services I loved most and that I was proudest of. I stopped trying to do everything and started doing fewer things exceptionally well.
Where I Am Today
Today, Simply Lettered Studio is the business I always wanted it to be — and honestly, more than I imagined it could become.
I'm a certified penmanship instructor and a member of IAMPETH, the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting. I've studied under master penmen and esteemed calligraphers from around the world, and I continue to study because I believe there is always more to learn.
I do live event calligraphy and engraving for luxury brands — Chanel, Burberry, Jo Malone, Coach, and more — traveling from Utah to Colorado and beyond to create personalized moments for guests that they genuinely never forget. I take studio commissions for heirloom pieces, engraved bottles, wedding details, and custom keepsakes. And through the Simply Lettered Shop, I get to combine my love of teaching with my love of calligraphy — sharing supplies, curricula, and resources with people who are just beginning their own journey.
The Cursive Connection, my 40-week cursive curriculum, is probably the fullest-circle moment of my career: the teacher in me gets to meet the calligrapher in me, and together we're helping bring beautiful handwriting back to life for a new generation.
Why I Love and Continue Calligraphy
Because words matter. Because a handwritten note means something that a text message never will. Because there is something about picking up a pen, slowing down, and putting real thought and care into a physical mark on paper — or glass, or leather, or metal — that is becoming increasingly rare, and I think that rarity makes it more valuable, not less.
I became a calligrapher because I needed a creative outlet as a new mom. I've stayed a calligrapher because I believe, deeply and genuinely, that words never lose their value — especially when they're written by hand.
If you're curious about learning calligraphy yourself, I'd love to help you get started. And if you're looking for a custom commission or want to bring something truly special to your next event, I'd love to hear from you.
This work is my joy. I'm grateful every day that I get to do it.