Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Heath.
Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Taking big risks is not something I do on a regular basis, especially with big life decisions. I married my high school sweetheart. I chose accounting as a career at the age of 15 and have stubbornly stuck with that profession to this day. I have had the same position at my church for 11 years as the financial administrator. When I discovered that I indeed have a creative side to my personality, I was hesitant to make any sudden moves. I made my discovery in an unlikely place: bullet journaling. I stumbled across this creative way to plan and dream and soon started watching all the YouTube videos I could find on the subject. This led me to lettering and calligraphy videos as many bullet journal influencers make their journals artistic as well as functional. As someone who has always been complimented on my “pretty handwriting,” I found it easy to pick up on the skills I found in the many, many videos I watched. Thanks to Facebook, sharing your hobbies and interests is easy, and before I knew it, I had several friends asking me to letter things for them. These were small-scale projects, and I eventually had enough of these projects to start a little lettering page on Facebook and Instagram showcasing my work. As the years have gone by, I have maintained a steady flow of projects, big and small. Thanks to friends and loved ones (and even strangers) believing in me, I have done quite the variety of art and design. Each commission brings a new set of skills and experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My artistic journey has been overall gradual and slow, which perfectly suits my risk-averse nature. I’ve mainly been project-based, meaning that I usually only create art and designs when someone commissions me. After a super busy 2021, I had goals for 2022 to start producing art for sale, to rebrand, and to grow my business. This year however has brought new challenges. I am still an accountant during the day, and recently my hours have increased as I have taken on new roles and duties. Also, my dad’s health has declined rapidly over the summer and taking care of him and my mom has required new levels of my time and energy. Because of these and other factors, I am finding my time and energy is very limited, and my 2022 expectations of growth have not been met. Fighting the discouragement this has brought has been very hard, but I am learning that every season of life is different, and we must have grace with ourselves when we don’t meet our goals. I’m also learning about what it means to live a life of creativity, no matter what your paid job is, no matter if the creative ventures you are doing are bringing income or not. I’ve found this to play out in the past few months by being involved in organizing and hosting a conference for church creatives. Participating in this conference has given me fresh energy and motivation to pursue developing new skills and materializing dreams. There are many days where I face discouragement and imposter syndrome, but I always find my way back to pursuing a life of creativity.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is hand-lettering and calligraphy. I have a lot of orders for weddings, including wedding invitation calligraphy, hand-lettered seating charts, place cards, and signage. Recently I’ve been asked to do more non-lettered art, including watercolor illustrations of homes. Over the years, I have worked with watercolor, acrylic paint, dip pen calligraphy, and chalkboard lettering. I purchased an iPad several years ago and started digital lettering and design and have even worked on several logo designs. Once I discovered the life that art brings to me, I made a shift from an “I’ve never done that, so I can’t do it” mindset to an “I won’t know until I try” mindset. Almost 100% of the time, I have been able to make an experimental project a reality. None of this would have happened if I didn’t have friends in my community believe in me enough to ask me to try something I’d never done before. Since a majority of my projects are commissioned, customized art is my specialty. Do you want a specific quote on a specific color background in a specific style of handwriting? I have you covered. I have lettered a lot of various mediums, from tattoos to clothes hangers to toy boxes and even a casket! I can tailor my design to suit your exact wishes. A big part of this process has been my iPad. I can work up a proof of the general direction of the design, and my customer can make changes and confirm that this was what they had envisioned. This has given me so much more confidence when I am actually working on the piece. I love that the art my clients receive is completely customized and something they’ll treasure for years to come.
What matters most to you? Why?
I believe that my art and creativity are at their best when they are shared with my community. I am infinitely more inspired when I am connected through authentic relationships with those I love and admire. I firmly believe in the tagline of my business: “Words Matter. Make Them Lovely.” When I surround myself with positive messages and truly believe that abundant life and energy are available to me, my creative endeavors will flourish. This means spending time with people who encourage and challenge me to live up to my potential. This means sharing what I’m working on and being accountable to my peers. This means getting creative input from designers and creatives that I look up to. This means guarding my heart and mind against negative influences and thoughts.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurenletters.co
- Instagram: @_lauren_letters_
- Facebook: @laurenhletters
Image Credits
Haley Borin
