Calligraphy Unscripted

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It's engagement season and this episode should serve as a bit of a homework assignment for you as we get ready to receive inquiries from both industry pros and potential clients/couples. I go over: Websites and Social Media Marketing and Promotion Networking (Also check out episode #14 re: referrals) Responsiveness Contracts Email the mailbag at: calligraphyunscriptedQA@gmail.com with questions/comments and suggestions for future episodes! ----------------------------- Resources created for you:

Its that time of year and the stress and pressure is only going to increase on us calligraphers which is why I wanted to do an episode dedicated to keeping our sanity... 5 things to keep our eyes on: Holiday Deliverable Checklist Time Management Dealing with Overwhelm Inspo for Newbies Embracing the Season's Spirit --------------- Resources created for you:

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I thought it would be appropriate to hone in on this fleeting shopping season and assure you that there is STILL time to create awareness regarding something you'd like to offer this season. I go over 4 areas: Understanding Your Unique Position Simple Yet Effective Marketing Strategies for the Non-Expert Create a Sense of Urgency and Exclusivity Mindset and Motivation Send me questions and episode suggestions to the podcast mailbag: CalligraphyUnscriptedQA@gmail.com ----------------------- Resources created for you:

Heey... How y'all doing? I took an unannounced but very much needed midseason break, or should I say end of season break? Today in episode 19 I talk all about improving your craft. Is there something you feel pulled towards? How exactly can you find another discipline to dive into? Should you add this new skill to your service offerings or is this just for your own fulfillment? So much to unpack and I'm so sorry I left you guys for so long. Please enjoy the episode and email me at CalligraphyUnscriptedQA@gmail.com with questions or episode suggestions! Links mentioned in the show: Calligraphy Guild List by Calligrafile https://calligrafile.com/guilds-conferences-museums A Few Unique Online Resources to get lost in https://masgrimes.com/archive/zanerian-manual https://archive.org/details/systemofeasylett00cromrich/page/n15/mode/2up https://pennavolans.com/ https://calligraphypen.wordpress.com/ Calligraphy live and pre-recorded workshop links https://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/calligraphyeducationresources.pdf TikTok on Half Price Books https://www.tiktok.com/@calligraphybyct/video/7288770245832117550 --------------------------------

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This episode is a GREAT way to probe and evaluate your business and a good time to do it for the first time or revisit is 1Q and 4Q. The Questions: Why did you start calligraphy? What makes your style unique? Who is your target audience or client? What are your long-term goals? What are the values behind your work? How do you deal with comparison or imposter syndrome? What is your preferred medium and why? What courses, classes, or skills do you want to pursue? How do you measure success in your craft? Who inspires you? Email me with questions and ideas for future episodes! CalligraphyUnscriptedQA@gmail.com **If you need further guidance, download resources from my Pensight page or consider joining my Patreon.** Resources created for you:

Ahh, the Labor Day episode! The labor force in the U.S. is celebrated today and what BETTER way to acknowledge this important holiday than to pause and get some rest? I talk about 5 areas I consider when developing and refining my plan for a work/life balance: Number 1: The Double-Edged Sword of Turning Passion Into Work Number 2: The Hustle Culture Number 3: The Social Media Paradox Number 4: Realistic Ways to Not Glorify Hustle Culture Number 5: Celebrating Labor Day as a Freelancer/Calligraphy Artist Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/calligraphybyct Email me at my brand new mailbag! I'd love to hear about your work/life balance hacks and also feel free to send me any feedback or requests for future episodes! CalligraphyUnscriptedQA@gmail.com Thanks for listening and I'll be back next week! --ct

Welcome to episode 15. I focus on pricing for your calligraphy services inside this episode. If providing costs for your calligraphy makes you more uncomfortable than simply executing your art, this episode is for you. I talk about clearly communicating your brand story, considering what your market can bear, being ok with rejection and establishing special pricing for vendor partners that are likely funneling business your way all wedding season. Here is a link to the FIRST wedding seating chart I ever did back in 2013 for a photoshoot... I made reference to it inside this episode! http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/Screen-Shot-2023-08-31-at-90214-AM.png Thanks for listening and I'll be back next week! ------------------------------------ Resources created for you:

This episode is a deep dive into referrals. How to get them, how to respond to them and actionable tips on how to build a referral network. Understand the Calligraphy Referral Landscape Strategies to Boost Referrals Etiquette of Referrals Putting Pride Aside Gratitude: Beyond the Thank You Resources created for you:

This episode is all about my "Why". Why do I do calligraphy year after year? I hope that the things I bring up in this podcast episode will provoke you to think about your why which will in the more challenging times in our industry will prove to be your north star! Please enjoy episode TWELVE, thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe wherever you like to listen to podcasts! --ct ----------------------------- Resources created for you:

Thanks for listening... This episode is all about how I approach themed weddings and special events. If you are shying away from these kinds of events, I'm hoping that you will change your perspective after hearing this podcast. Examples: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CehXyVAj4I5/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZ14B9Hv7z_/ Theme Reference: http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/Theme-Example.pdf ----------------------------------------------------------------- Resources created for you:

This episode is important for all of our personal development. The more dissatisfied I am with my work and the more I seek to refine my offerings, the better I'll be at calligraphy and hand lettering. Here is an excerpt from my ebook: "How to Letter Mirrors" and it shows the progression of some of my lettering and how visually it evolved: http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/page10.pdf I share 5 best practices for self critiquing work in this episode and I go further in my paid resource Improving Your Calligraphy Signage - Tips and Best Practices: https://pensight.com/x/calligraphybyct/new-digital-item/bdd0c628-9fd3-492c-861f-836a3e8bfae3 I also share 99+ FREE tips (all targeted on helping you letter) on my IG highlight simply named "Tips": https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17857405615413929/ --------------------------------------- Other resources created for you:

This episode was inspired by the sheer volume of signage that I had to drop off to an event on Sunday. Its easy to make errors and there are some ways to mitigate pitfalls and enjoy success... My poor sign from last year: https://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/IMG_5187.PNG Free signage delivery checklist: http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/signagechecklist.pdf Thanks for listening! --ct ----------------- Resources created for you:

The annual IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting) conference is in Scranton, PA this year (starts 7/17/23) and I wanted to share some of my own "not-so-obvious" hacks on how to get the most out of what can be a pretty breathtaking and wondrous experience for a calligrapher. Highly recommend you attend at least once! Link to IAMPETH membership: https://www.iampeth.com/membership Link to some great IAMPETH guide sheets: https://www.iampeth.com/collection/guide-sheets Review of shared hacks: Showing Discipline Inside the Marketplace Understand the Value of Networking Making the Most of Your Classes Explore ALL Activities Document Your Experience Through IG Highlights CORRECTION: I meant to say I-94, NOT I-65 to Milwaukee! Until next week... --ct

Now that social calligraphers are entering one of the busiest parts of wedding and event season, its typically time for me to take on another task... 4Q planning. In this episode I share 5 reasons why I don't wait to begin working on and planning for 4Q! I'm also sharing some documents that will help you prepare if this is something that you'd like help with. Thanks for listening and I'll see you soon! FREE RESOURCES: Populated Calligrapher's Calendar (to give you a framework/some ideas): http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/calligraphersmarketingcalendar.pdf Blank Calligrapher's Calendar: http://www.calligraphybyct.com/s/BLANKCALLIGRAPHERCALENDAR2.pdf PAID RESOURCE: Detailed how to guide on how to prep for 4Q as a social calligrapher! This is the PERFECT time to grab... https://pensight.com/x/calligraphybyct/new-digital-item/ea1df139-f44f-417d-a6a5-f8e166fc9982

Have you dipped a toe into AI tech yet? This podcast episode has been recorded with the hopes that you will finally give it a try, or if you are already using it, this episode will help you use it more effectively. There are countless ways to use AI and as calligraphers we should take advantage of the enormous databank of information that this app is sitting on. I know I talked about scaling and marketing your business, but don't forget about more practical advice you can seek out. Think workshops and mindfulness to name a couple. Its becoming harder and harder to capture and keep the attention of audiences that are inundated with information, tips, offers, etc. I encourage you to use AI to help you with developing strategies to get more eyeballs on your work and your brand, and it will also help you provide the value that they need. Grab my Cheat Sheet 80+ Chat GPT Prompts for the Calligrapher

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In today's episode I share EIGHT ways you can potentially monetize your calligraphy talent. Perhaps you already find some of your services nestled underneath one or more of these umbrellas/categories. Maybe some of these ideas will motivate you to add one or more of these items to your offerings. Either way, please enjoy the episode and feel free to reach out to me with anything I've missed. Items I discussed in this episode: Great Engraving ebook Link to calligraphy monetization list Dremel tool (if thinking about getting into engraving) ------------------------------------------- Resources created for you:

In this episode I go over 3 actionable ways for you to get up off the mat after you've experienced a catastrophic failure in your calligraphy business. I share a story that happened a little over a decade ago where I was pretty demoralized and I want to talk about ways to bounce back! I have a resource that will help you learn how to manage client expectations that you can find here: https://pensight.com/x/calligraphybyct/new-digital-item/6b41c852-4e96-405b-9786-105ee0d609b9 Also, I'm almost sure that this is the resource I used to learn how to do acanthus leaves for this project. "The Calligraphy Pen" blog is one of THE oldest online and is actually a wonderful resource, please take the time to go through it, very informative! https://calligraphypen.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/calligraphy-design-acanthus-leaves/

Thanks for listening. These best practices have served me and continue to serve me well. For more general FREE tips on lettering and crafting signs, check out my IG highlight labeled "Tips"... I have over 100 miscellaneous goodies you can screenshot that will no doubt help you on your lettering journey... https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17857405615413929/ These resources were created with you in mind!

In this episode, I go over the unique time/era that I began calligraphy, and all of the major changes that occurred right after. Thanks for listening and please subscribe to keep up with weekly updates! --Christy Toney Broad edge calligraphy - This is what the thicker calligraphy looks like and prior to 2009-10 its pretty much ALL you would see. You will still see Blackletter and Gothic type calligraphy on socials and also inside country clubs (think founder's lists) and charters. Churches utilize this style a lot as well. Its referred to as broad edge because you need a chisel or broad tipped tool in order to craft the letters. Pointed Pen - Pointed pen nibs create styles that are more script in nature and is similar to what you see all of the time now on socials as it relates to calligraphy. The nib is steel and is shaped into a point and the amount of pressure you add opens up what is referred to as "tines" to create shaded or thick lines that will butt up against a thin line.

Trailer for upcoming podcast about calligraphy & lettering. Business advice, the state of the industry & how you can turn this relaxing hobby into a business.