I met Becca (@thehappyevercrafter) last week on a whim: she needed a photographer and I happened to be free that night. While she was busy leading her brush calligraphy workshop, I was able to capture some of the night with lots of laughs, some intensely focused participants, and tempting treats at the wonderful Little Jo Berry's. If you are lucky enough to snag a spot in one of her workshops, do it! Even while shooting, I couldn't help but to be drawn into the lessons and the beautiful results you can achieve with time and pratice.
Business name: The Happy Ever Crafter Number of years in business: 1 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Link to website or social media: www.thehappyevercrafter.com @thehappyevercrafter 1. Describe what you do. I do modern calligraphy and hand lettering. I teach it in workshops, and I provide it as a custom service (for a lot of weddings, for example).
2. What is it about your work that motivates you? I really love encouraging others to include the handmade touch that calligraphy and handlettering can provide- as opposed to always opting for computer fonts and typography. Calligraphy (and any sort of handwriting, for that matter) is such a lost art now that everyone uses computers for every aspect of their lives. I love snail mail, hand made cards and hand written notes SO much more than emails or instant messages. And I think people are starting to revert back to that- they miss it. Which is where I come in, to teach them how to do it.
3. What is the biggest challenge you face when it comes to your work and how do you deal with that challenge? Sometimes it's really hard to get people on board with the idea of using handmade products instead of digitally produced ones- simply because it takes more time and more importantly, more money. I deal with it by just continuing on- showing people what I do and how the products I can produce are unique. There's something special about one-of-a-kind art, and it's definitely starting to lead back in that direction. 4. What do you want people to know about you and your work? The biggest misconception I am constantly explaining to people is that you don't need beautiful handwriting to produce beautiful calligraphy. So many people nowadays are so afraid to try- they have this idea that they 'aren't creative enough' to produce art. It's just not true. I just want to encourage people to give themselves a chance. With a simple step-by-step, hands-on approach, people can completely shock themselves. And I see that happen every time I teach.
