Keeping Up with the Calligraphers

"We are very into thriving artists." Alex and Cat bring on guest Marie Coleman-Johns of Maiden September to discuss some of the nuances of pricing as full time event artists. While all three began their creative business journey as hourly-based artists, they’ve all shifted to package pricing, noting just how valuable their services are as event calligraphers and artists. They discuss the...

"I should be charging for that." "Correct." Alex of Signs of our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy chat about their newfound perspective on luxury retail events, the quirks of in-studio orders, and what happens when artists sacrifice quality for speed. They also touch on pricing for events, added fees, and real life examples of communicating expectations with clients.  Se...

Alex and Cat welcomed the so very talented artist, Jodi Tellier to share her not-so-linear journey being in the art world; and her tips on maintaining years-long relationships with her clients, even after pivoting her art and her business. In the first half of the episode, Jodi stares how she transitioned from drawing and painting to calligraphy and then back to live painting. Then she shared her...

If you’ve ever thought, “why not me?” this episode is for you. Alex of Signs of our Lives, Hannah of TallyMark Studio, and special guest Syl of Via Calligraphy discuss the concept of using that FOMO you have as a growth tool in your creative business. Hannah and Syl share how “The Artist’s Way” shifted their perspectives about jealousy, and how engaging in creative exploration has lead to some *un...

Bringing it back MTV style, Alex of Signs of our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy go into their personal journeys of being a little bit too into their work; to the point where it at times takes a toll on their physical and mental health. They chat about hustle culture, the need to always be productive, and how society promotes the idea that your self-worth is tied to your financial success....

In this Hot Take episodes, Alex of Signs of our Lives, Hannah of Tallymark Studio, and guest Suki Liu of Signed by Suki discuss the importance of recognizing that not every client is a good fit for every artist. They unpack one of Suki's most recent Instagram posts, which started a conversation about the need for authenticity, professionalism, and setting standards within the industry, especi...

Welcome to Season 3 of Keeping Up with the Calligraphers! Alex of Signs of our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy catch up on all things work and life since the end of Season 2. From the realities of traveling for events, to the challenges of setting boundaries with clients, to figuring out what balance looks like for both of them, these co-hosts are keeping it realer than ever. They reflect...

In this episode, Alex and Cat discuss Cat's recent adventure providing live event calligraphy at a destination wedding in Spain. Listen in to hear how she landed the client, the logistics that went into the client experience, and the creative and intricate process of curating the wedding favors. And as always, nothing will ever go as planned. Cat goes into some of the  obstacles that came up...

Alex, Hannah, AND Cat discuss the nuances of working with luxury brands in the creative industry, particularly as event calligraphers. Booking that household name can be a huge business milestone! AND there are some factors you may want to consider before working with your next luxury brand. Do the values align? What’s the pay rate? The payment terms are what now?! You want me to sign a who what?...

The episode you’ve all been waiting for… In response to a recent Instagram post 👀, Alex of Signs of our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy chat with their guest Sylvia of Via Calligraphy about the nuances of professionalism, dress codes, and client communication. They discuss a brief history of “professionalism” in work places, the inclusivity (or lack thereof) of dress codes at retail and b...

Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy and Alex of Signs of our Lives chat with Paige Griffith of The Legal Paige, contract lawyer and legal expert, about the importance of contracts for small business owners, particularly in the creative industry. Paiges emphasizes the need for clear, legally binding contracts to protect both the business and the client. The discussion covers when to implement contracts,...

“YoU nEeD to NiChE.” 🙅🏻‍♀️ NURRR. We’re sick of hearing this advice! When you’re first starting out, or when you’re ready to add or pivot your services, the whole “you need to be niching” thing is just NOT gonna work. You’re a multi-faceted artist and business owner! You owe it to yourself to create what you want to create, and explore what you’re curious about. You deserve the opportunity to ha...

Thinking about hiring other artists or being hired for events? Alex + Cat dive deep into this controversial topic that's buzzing through the event artist / calligraphy industry right now - examining the honest pros and cons of both hiring other artists and being hired yourself. From what makes someone totally rehire-able (or not), to the weird gray areas around pay rates and social media post...

In this new episode series, Alex Hirsch of Signs of our Lives and Hannah Holt of Tally Mark Calligraphy share their hot takes on sharing your income online.  With the underlying principles of “a rising tide lifts all ships,” they discuss how sharing your income online can be beneficial AND how it could be misleading to other business owners and artists (or give people the ick). Alex and Hannah tal...

Live art isn't just for brand, corporate, and retail events, folks! It's coming in hot at weddings, and we're here to tell you all about it. Cat, resident expert on bringing calligraphy experiences at weddings, shares how weddings can be similar to brand events, but more importantly, how they can be entirely different from start to finish. Alex and Cat discuss expectations, client e...

In this mini solo episode, Alex shares their point of view of attending retail events... well, solo! Whether you're engraving fragrances at a retailer, or lettering on champagne bottles at a liquor store - communication and adaptability are key when you're by yourself! She shares her insights on what questions to ask beforehand, what to do when you're at your event, and what to foll...

Cat and Alex are two tired girlies trying to figure out what’s next in their businesses. After spending a summer working hard to continue elevating guest experience for clients while still showing up authentically (and chaotically) as themselves, they put down their engravers and picked up their mics to debrief together.    Join them as they reflect on things they’d like to stop doing, start doing...

We're back from summer break and kicking off the fall season with a special collaboration episode with Shaochen and Alane from the Calligraphy Biz Corner podcast, where we chat about the diverse, in-demand live event calligraphy industry. Join us for this exciting conversation where Cat Brown of Cat Lauren Calligraphy and Alex Hirsch of Signs of Our Lives share their experiences of growing th...

Having an efficient workflow cultivates a better experience for you, for your client, and for event attendees — so let’s do something about it! In this episode, Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy + Alex of Signs of our Lives discuss: -strategies for figuring out how to determine your production rate -some differences between in studio work versus on site work -setting up your event space -how and what...

In this mini episode, Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy shares her experience of going to her first networking event. Join us as Alex and Cat answer: How do you know what networking events to go to? WTF is an elevator pitch? How does an introvert get themselves through a networking event? Do you bring business cards? And some of the other intricacies of attending a networking event solo.  Send us Fan...

Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy and Alex of Signs of Our Lives share how they price their services as event artists, and some other pricing structures that you can utilize in your art businesses. They share the considerations to take into account when pricing, and how pricing for events can be different than in-studio commissions or product-based business models. They also touch on how being transpa...

Feeling the burnout of balancing your personal life, entrepreneurship, and being an artist? This episode has exactly what you need. Alex of Signs of our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren calligraphy interview Amanda Reid of Amanda Reid Designs. She teaches us about the realities of burnout and reminds us that our bodies are our most precious tools—and it's about time we started treating them as suc...

In this episode, we discuss Alex’s journey going from full time business owner to part time, and then back to full time, and Cat’s journey managing being a full time career-girlie, mom, and part-time business owner. While their journeys and their days are vastly different from each other, both of their businesses are successful in their own way. Let this episode serve as a reminder that success do...

Clickbait, oo ha ha! Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy and Alex of Signs of Our Lives chat about their experiences working for “exposure” in the events industry: when they’ve said “f%k no,” when they’ve said “h#LL yes” and negotiated terms, and when they were down for a trade.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow us in all the places! Podcast, Keeping Up with the Calligraphers IG: https://www.ins...

So you’ve decided that event artistry is for you – now what? Alex of Signs of Our Lives and Cat of Cat Lauren Calligraphy give you a mini masterclass outlining exactly what they do to help you market yourself to potential clients in order to book events as an artist.  Whether you’re just starting out or have been doing events for a while, this episode is packed with helpful insights to help you bu...