We frequently receive emails from aspiring calligraphers looking for advice on where & how to get started with their calligraphy business. When I started Laura Hooper Calligraphy about 19 years ago it consisted of a LOT of googling for useful information, trial and error and just figuring out what worked and what didn’t. There were no workshops or tutorials for learning the style I was interested in, no business bootcamps/resources, and calligraphy was considered a dying art form. Blogging was barely in existence! It was overwhelming and isolating to say the least.
Even 11 years in, one major benefit to bringing my sister Alyssa onboard as Director of Operations was simply having someone to sound ideas off of and discuss direction, revenue streams, step-by-step logistics to actually getting things done, etc. We’ve received many requests for a mentorship program over the past several years and we were excited to launch a beta group this year. We’ll be re-opening the program next year, but in the meantime you can find details below along with other options available right now!
The Laura Hooper Calligraphy Mentorship Program is tailored to your individual needs and where you are at with your work/business. Mentees can be pointed-pen calligraphers or letterers or custom stationery designers – focus is custom event work not wholesale/retail stationery. The program has closed for 2020, but if you’re looking to turn your calligraphy hobby into a profitable business, join our email list to be notified when it opens back up for 2021!
In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss any personalized questions you have regarding calligraphy technique, calligraphy as a business, or social media for your business, you can now invest in à la carte private sessions with myself & Alyssa. The private virtual session(s) can be utilized to review any course homework or discuss any personalized questions you have regarding calligraphy technique, calligraphy as a business, social media for your business, etc. These are catered to you and your specific needs.
If you are looking for calligraphy tutorials, skill & project-based videos, and business tips, we house this content exclusively on Patreon. We post new content 3-4 times a month and share all the resources needed for each project. This space allows for a more direct line of communication and we can take requests for content in order to best serve your current calligraphy needs. Patrons even have the option to join at a level where you get monthly virtual office hours and critique submissions.
Another great option to help you get your business off the ground in those difficult, early stages of business development is the Modern Calligraphy Summit Business Bootcamp. An extension of the MCS brand, the business bootcamp is a 6-week online course that walks you through the basics of getting your business up and running. Week 1 covers setting up legally, weeks 2-5 {taught by us!} cover day-to-day operations such as setting up your workspace, pricing, scheduling, finding and working with clients, growing your business & more, and the final week talks about printing, which even if you don’t plan to do printing personally, it is still vital to understand the process for when you are creating your files or looking for a printer to work with on your client projects.
I know from personal experience that starting and growing a business can be a daunting endeavor, but hopefully you’ll find these resources useful in your journey. As always, remember that everyone starts somewhere so just keep going and keep creating what you love!
Xo Laura & Alyssa