Creative Business Real Talk

“You really can’t go after something unless you have some tiny belief that it’s possible.” - Shinah Have you ever joined a $30,000 program? I have. (And no, you didn’t misread that number!). I know what you’re thinking right now: “Was it worth it?” The short answer is “Yes.” The long answer? That’s a little more juicy. I definitely had a lot of hesitation and even fear going in. $30,000 is a lot o...

“When you’re a small fish in a big pond, there’s so much room to grow.” - Shinah Are you used to being the smartest person in the room? (Or at least THINKING you are?) Do you get anxious in situations where you don’t feel like you have all the right answers? Having pride in your intelligence is one thing, but when you place too much emphasis on being smart, you can fall into a self-limiting trap!...

“The point of this isn’t actually to bring in a lot of money… the point is to get your name out there!” - Shinah We’re entering into the holiday season, and you know what that means! It’s time for craft fairs and holiday markets! For creative entrepreneurs, this can be a very lucrative period of the year, and a time where they get the opportunity to meet and make connections with new (and potentia...

“If she took one step off that pedestal of perfection, she’d fall right down… out of the light, and warmth, and praise.” - Shinah This is an episode of The Shinah Show that almost never was. I definitely struggled a little bit with whether or not to tell the story that I share in this episode. Not because I was embarrassed or ashamed of it, or thought it wouldn’t be useful. But because I didn’t kn...

“When you are forced to kind of pause everything in your life… it gave me a lot of time to just reflect on what I was doing with my life and where my priorities were.” - Mélissa Lehoux My guest for this episode, Mélissa Lehoux, has one of the most incredible calligraphy stories I’ve ever heard — and her story is proof that calligraphy is for absolutely everyone. In the summer of 2018, Mélissa was...

“I actually think of calligraphy not as handwriting, but more as drawing.” - Shinah It’s time to bust some calligraphy myths! I know there are a lot of people out there, right now, who LOVE to follow calligraphers on Instagram and dream about having the skill to create beautiful invitations, greeting cards, or shop signs — but are afraid to pick up a pen themselves because they’ve heard and believ...

“I want to learn how to be happier with exactly what I have.” - Shinah I have a bit of an update for you this week. I was hit by a pick-up truck while cycling on vacation recently — yes, I was wearing a helmet. Yes, physically, I’m okay. This episode isn’t about my physical injuries. It’s about the emotional impact of major events. (And yes, there are valuable lessons in this episode!)  The years...

“There’s definitely a learning curve with pointed pen calligraphy… and that doesn’t mean that you’re not talented or artistic enough or creative enough!” - Shinah It’s that time of year again — time for my 5-day, Pointed Pen Calligraphy Basics Challenge! In this challenge, you get the low-down on exactly what tools to buy plus a FREE calligraphy lesson every day to get you comfortable with the bas...

“It’s not about the how; it’s about having the belief in yourself to stick to it, keep practicing, celebrate your small victories and pick yourself up from the failures.” - Shinah So many creatives in the world share the same fears, questions, and doubts.  And in this episode, I explore them through the story of another calligraphy creative — and share the advice that will help you push past your...

“Growing up, I did not have an entrepreneurial bone in my body!” - Shinah If you want to start SELLING your creative work, but you’re telling yourself you CAN’T because you’re not a “natural entrepreneur”... Stop believing that BS excuse! Your ability to thrive as a creative entrepreneur isn’t dependent on how many chocolate bars you sold door-to-door in the sixth grade! Because I SUCKED at sellin...

 “Be really careful about where you give your f*cks.” - Shinah This episode is being released the week that I am turning the big 4-0. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks thinking about the message that I want to share with my audience during this major milestone. I wanted to share the kind of message that would have made a younger version of Shinah feel a little bit stronger, mo...

“It is hard to start a creative business. And yet, it is SO doable and so fulfilling.” - Shinah This episode of The Shinah Show is just a little bit different! This week, I answer questions from the audience — that’s right, it’s a Q&A episode where I share the creative business secrets that y’all have been so curious about!  I put out the call for questions on my Instagram (@crookedcalligraphy...

“Sometimes it’s moments like that — you being at your worst — that really is the clearest picture and irrefutable evidence that something needs to change.” - Shinah I had to take a deep breath before hitting record on this episode, because I knew things would get a little vulnerable. In the last couple of episodes, I talked about figuring out how to make a change work for you. In this episode, I’m...

“I didn’t get here just by succeeding all the time and doing everything right.” - Shinah “Failure is necessary to success.” We’ve all heard that saying. But what does it really mean? While business owners (and people in general) love to talk about their triumphs, hearing about “failures” is a lot less common. But just because they’re not talked about, doesn’t mean that they haven’t happened. Befor...

“The ‘how’ is not that important… you don’t need to know it.” - Shinah Are you thinking about making a change in your life? Maybe starting your creative side hustle? Maybe exploring a way of working that offers better balance? Is it making you a little bit stressed? I get it. When we think about making a change, even if it’s for the better, we tend to get anxious. You’re probably wondering what yo...

“It takes small things, done consistently and done with a purpose.” - Shinah It’s been a hell of a year, right? While the United States is just starting to inch its way back to normal, the truth is that we have NO IDEA what the future holds for us at this point. This episode is all about how to get closer to happiness right now. Not six months from now. Not after you’ve finished your To-Do list. N...

“Sometimes, your brain just really needs to have some hard numbers to calm down a little bit.” - Shinah In last week’s episode, I talked about one major mindset hurdle that would-be creative entrepreneurs deal with — the “what will people think??” objection. This week, I want to talk about another major mindset hurdle that comes up when people want to transition into a more fulfilling creative car...

“For me, ‘better’ is more fulfilled, more passion- and purpose-driven.” - Shinah This week’s episode is for anyone who dreams about pursuing something creative… but are held back by one persistent thought.    “But what would my parents think??”    Believe me, I get it. When I was working as a corporate lawyer, I was miserable. I hated going to work. I thought about quitting for a long time. But on...

“ I had always wanted to be a small business owner. I didn’t really know what that looked like, though. ” - Shaochen Wu.    How do you build a successful passion business from scratch?    My guest, Shaochen Wu, is a former tech consultant who worked in a very logic-heavy, left-brained job in Silicon Valley before transitioning to become a wedding calligrapher.    While Shaochen had always dreamed...

“Create your own signature calligraphy style without copying other people and without it looking really random.”  - Shinah.    I’m switching it up a little bit for this week’s episode — get ready to discover your signature style!     This episode is going to give you a taste of my free, 5-day Style Challenge sessions. Each session comes complete with bite-sized lessons, insights, and fun and pract...

“You can really understand your tendency... and then use it to get what you want!” - Shinah Do you have trouble “sticking” to an art, craft, or other creative thing? Have you gone through countless different creative outlets without ever really developing a real practice? Do you have what I like to call a “guilty craft closet” in your home? Then this is the episode for you! Before finding calligra...

“I would have kicked myself forever if I had done that — to give up the opportunity to work with Dom Pérignon.” - Shinah This episode of the show is going to be a little different and a little more tactical than the other episodes. If you’re interested in getting corporate clients for your own creative business, you’ll definitely want to hit play right now. Because I am going to walk you through h...

“Let’s rethink fun.” - Shinah Do you need to master the basics before you move onto the fun stuff? I can’t speak for every area in life, but when it comes to creativity (especially calligraphy), I’m a strong believer in doing whatever it is you want to do! Now, I didn’t always feel that way. For most of my life, I thought that “fun” was the least important thing on my list. Getting the best grades...

“I clearly remember my mother arguing with my fourth grade teacher because I had gotten a B+.” - Shinah If you’ve ever identified yourself as a perfectionist, whether you consider it a point of pride or something you want to change… you’re going to want to check out this episode. I’ll be straight up with you right now — I am a recovering perfectionist.  I grew up with a family that expected me to...

“Is it easy for you to know what you want?” - Shinah Picture this: you wake up and realize that you have an entire day to yourself. You can do literally anything — you have no responsibilities or obligations. Do you know right away what you would do? Or do you feel lost or anxious just thinking about it? How you answer these questions depends on how strong your ‘want muscle” is.  What the heck is...