waysideviolet - cozy, lovely things

Ever since I was little, I have been in awe of pretty handwriting and the beautiful art of calligraphy. Try as I might, I usually end up with something that looks like a broken squiggle. That’s why I am so excited about today’s interview!

Bryn has turned her truly gorgeous talent for calligraphy into her full time job! Her work is so lovely and inspiring!

Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a calligrapher and illustrator living in Brooklyn. I started Paperfinger in 2008 to create a business doing the work I love. It’s still hard to believe that this is officially my job. I create hand-lettered and hand-drawn work for folks all over the country and world. The projects I work on vary from week to week: one day I might be drawing and designing a custom wedding invitation; the next a logo design; a calligraphed love letter; and then a few custom address stamps.

Q. How did you get started in calligraphy?
I adored writing by hand ever since I was a kid. Every notebook was full of word doodles, in all the styles I could come up with. I loved imitating fonts and trying new variations. Any form that came our way was always immediately handed to me since I loved writing just about anything. I never took this part of myself very seriously but it makes perfect sense that writing is now my profession. I took a very exciting detour in the world of technology and non-profits for the first six years out of college. In 2007, a whole slew of friends started to get married and a number of them asked me to work with them on materials for their wedding. I’m not formally trained but I create styles that speak to me and my aesthetic. I was thrilled to help my friends out and after a busy summer, I realized I had real potential for starting a business! So I got started on building a portfolio.

Q. Your work is so pretty! What is your creative process like?
Thank you! My process is somewhat different for each job but I usually start any kind of project sketching and playing on paper. I brainstorm on paper, I imagine on paper — it’s a quiet, meditative process where I just doodle and draw and write and the ideas come out that way. Whether I’m thinking up a design layout or trying out a new lettering style, I like to sketch and write without any concern for who will see it and what will become of it. The best ideas come about for me when I go easy on myself and just see what happens. I like not knowing the rules and that’s one of the reasons I’ve never studied formal calligraphy. I think the freedom of not knowing what you’re supposed to do empowers my creative exploration!

Q. What’s a normal day in your life like?
I hop on my bike or the bus (weather dependent) and take the short ride from Ft Greene to DUMBO where my studio is. I love a good Greek yogurt and an Amy’s Bread roll for breakfast and then I usually jump right into a project to start the day. There’s usually lots of projects happening at once so I carefully plan out my to-do’s for each day in advance. From noon-1pm and 4-5pm I check emails and sort through my orders but I try not to let my emails interrupt my work in the morning or mid-afternoon. Evenings are often spent with my friends, my sister, my boyfriend or my laptop. I love cooking and eating for and with any of those people. And occasionally I play Need For Speed on the iPad to let some of the day’s stress out. (Crazy road race game, try it!)

Q. What inspires you most of all?
So much of what I do is custom for my clients so I am often inspired by the people I’m working with. But day to day, walking around in my brain I am often inspired by simple things that I appreciate. I might see a lowercase ‘g’ in print somewhere that is just awesome. I’ll take that image back to my desk with me. Or the feeling of a particular place or season will make me want to capture it in an illustration or word somehow. My blog (papertastebuds.com) keeps me looking for new sources of ideas and inspiration. I find that the practice of keeping the blog updated daily is really just a structured way for me to keep my mind full of fresh images, appealing design and tasty colors.

For more beautiful things check out Bryn’s website & Etsy shop!

Tags: calligraphy, handmade, interview, paperfinger, pretty things