Today we’d like to introduce you to Susanne Stowe.
Susanne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I was a kid, I always paid attention to lettering and fonts on everything. Signs for businesses, cereal boxes, handwriting on mail, etc. I remember studying those things and would trace them with my finger, so it seems I was always destined to go down a path related to design. In high school, I took more art classes than I probably should have been allowed to graduate with. When college hit, majoring in Graphic Design seemed natural and I loved learning to create by hand as well as digitally. One of my professors offered a calligraphy course where I first learned different styles (Roman majuscules and minuscules, broad-edged, italics, uncials and blackletter). I 100% fell in love and would sometimes stay up til 4 am practicing, but since calligraphy wasn’t my main focus of study, I went another direction.
After college, I worked at a portfolio school here in Atlanta for several years, then was a creative recruiter for Advertising & Design. However, I always wanted to get back into calligraphy and lettering, so around that time, I discovered Anne Elser, Calligrapher Extraordinaire and all around wonderful human being, who teaches classes here in Atlanta. I signed up to learn Copperplate, a calligraphy style I didn’t learn in college. I took a few other classes with her and it gave me the confidence to work more outside the box than I’d previously had the guts to do and I was able to develop my own style for lettering. This was the confidence push I really needed to start doing this full time, so I left my full-time job and started Inkery Road!
I spent my time working on custom calligraphy and lettering jobs as well as designing prints, cards, and tea towels to sell in my Etsy shop. In 2014, we had our first daughter, so work got put on hold so I could learn how to be a mama. Not too much time passed before I really missed my work and felt like a part of me was missing, so I pushed myself to work during naptimes and some nights and weekends to feel like I was giving back to myself, all while funding my chai latte addiction.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think the road should ever be smooth when it comes to pursuing your passion and starting a business. You have to expect bumps, detours, and failures to be able to push through and grow. I’ve struggled with things like pricing my work, as well as having my time and skill valued. I think sometimes people think that since I work for myself at home, that a price I quote for a job isn’t worth the money. But, if I worked at an agency, it’s justifiable. You have to be confident in your pricing and stick with it. I spend the majority of my day taking care of our daughter, so the time I spend on work is even more valuable to me since I have to find time to set aside when I can. In the past, if I charged less than I wanted for a job – for fear that I’ll lose the job if I price my work too high – I always end up unhappy and barely making any money. If you’re just starting out, stay confident with your pricing and charge your worth. If you lose a job because someone doesn’t want to pay your price, don’t sweat it. Another one will come along who will pay your worth and respect your talent.
Over the years, my style has evolved and I’m continually fine-tuning my skill. And I expect for that to continue as time goes on. The more you learn and the more you’re exposed to, the more you evolve and grow. If you’re just starting out with calligraphy and lettering, I think it’s really important to research the history of letterforms. If you have the knowledge of how to properly write calligraphic letters, you can then learn to grow and properly develop your own lettering style to have fun with. Take classes. There are endless online classes and books as well as local classes offered. Practice, practice, practice. Don’t look at other work and get frustrated that your work doesn’t look like theirs. This line of work takes a lot of practice and muscle memory development. Find a mentor you can learn from and ask advice. Join online communities or local meet-up groups with people in your industry who you can run ideas by. I teamed up with another designer/illustrator who gives me invaluable feedback on ideas. Being able to have feedback at your fingertips from like-minded people is more helpful than you’ll realize.
We’d love to hear more about Inkery Road.
When I was originally freelancing, I included branding as one of my services since my background is in design. But when I focused more on learning calligraphy and lettering, I realized where my passion truly lies & decided to focus solely on that.
For custom jobs, I show clients samples of my styles and let them decide what best fits their wants and we go from there to create a unique piece just for them. I also provide calligraphy for envelopes, weddings, and other needs, as well as prints and stationery that I sell in my Etsy shop. I like to come up with light-hearted, quirky sayings to letter so my work is all my own. Coming up with my own quotes can be challenging since they might not appeal to everyone, but I’m proud to sell original work. I also have a huge love for letterpressed work. I don’t have my own press or space for one right now, but I’ve pressed several jobs in the past. The time and precision that goes into setting up a piece, along with the end product just make my heart sing.
One of my favorite things I’ve done is a line of prints that I call the “Home State Love” series. I’ll eventually get through all 50 states, but it originally started with Georgia since I’m born and raised here in Atlanta. Each one has the state name lettered inside the state & the rest of the silhouette of the state shape is filled with flourishes.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
I have to start with Barbara Yale-Read. She’s my college professor who first introduced me to calligraphy. She taught me the importance of learning the history of calligraphy as well as layout, precision, and control. Learning the foundation of calligraphy gives you a respect for the letterforms and how they should properly be written.
Anne Elser is next because she is the one who taught me as an adult when I was more prepared to take on working for myself. Through her, I’ve learned Copperplate calligraphy, flourishing, and lettering. She taught and refreshed me on the history and how to precisely write letters, as well as teaching me how to properly break the rules to develop my own lettering style. She’s an incredibly inspiring woman who helped me discover I can make money while doing what I love. I highly recommend taking classes from her if you have the chance.
Another woman who has inspired me is my mom. When I was in high school, she battled and beat breast cancer. But what’s even more impressive about that is that she was right in the middle of chemo and radiation treatments when she was supposed to take my Girl Scout troop on a three-week trip backpacking across Europe. Her doctor told her not to go. She said, “if I don’t go, I’ll die.” So, she packed up a little cooler full of shots and medicine she needed & backpacked across Europe with four teenage girls. If that isn’t awesome and inspiring, I don’t know what is.
On top of these three women, there are countless women I follow on social media in this industry who fight for women’s rights, for being boss ladies and being successful. A lot of them are moms, too, which is even more inspiring since it pushes me to keep believing in myself and that I can do this on my own too. Just to name a few off the top of my head (there are many, many more), in no particular order: Anne Robin, Britt Rohr with Swell Press, Lauren Hom, Suzanne Cunningham, Jenna Rainey, Ashley Buzzy, Lauren Essl, and Nina Tran.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.inkeryroad.com
- Email: howdy@inkeryroad.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/inkeryroad
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inkeryroad
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/inkeryroad
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/inkeryroad
Image Credit:
Susanne Stowe
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