Today's featured maker is Angelique Phillips of Angelique, Ink - who beautifully penned our calendars this year! If you buy one, you get a coupon for her shop! I fell in love with her calligraphy work and couldn't resist asking for a partnership. Now the Colette Paperie calendars truly have a work of art on every month!
A little about Angelique, Ink...
Angelique (Angi) Phillips, live in Anaheim, Cali, wishing I had about 3 dogs, love mountain biking with Matt (my hubs), road biking, playing tennis, singing, reading fiction--currently the Hunger Games consumes every minute of my free time, good coffee, gourmet tea, baking...
How + when did you first become interested in becoming a maker?
1. I got my first calligraphy pen set when I was 12 and was addicted to the art of writing immediately. Over time I forgot about it though and decided to pick up calligraphy as a hobby again 3 or 4 years ago. But it wasn't til about 2 years ago when my husband and friends encouraged me to really dive in and make a business of it. And here I am :)
Do you have a strategy for starting a project? Any rituals?
I wish I had a strategy for projects, but each one is so different. I guess my ritual is to sit down in the quiet of my office with a white piece of 100% cotton paper and let the pen do the work. If I'm tense and uncreative I turn on music for inspiration.
What was your first "breakthrough" gig?
I guess my very first breakthrough gig would be my first real paying customer, the first person who showed interest in my work that was not an acquaintance or family member or friend. It was the most validating thing and just what I needed to give me the confidence that starting a business out of this was the right step. The project was a typical envelope addressing for wedding invitations and I was scared to death, kept thinking she was going to hate them and want her money back but she adored them and was so positive with her feedback and praise.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
Favorite project? Is there such a thing? Gosh--I don't know... they are all so unique and yet so many are similar too. I absolutely LOVE making a fully handwritten invitation set designed for letterpress print! The first time I made one and received the sample it just made me giddy to feel the impression of the lettering on the papers.
What has been your silliest mistake in business thus far?
Silliest mistake in business: not listening to Matt (my hubby) when he gives business input or suggestions. He is usually right on although I always think I am, haha. But for a more specific example, the silliest thing I did was choosing a business name without giving it much thought and finding out later how difficult it is to change it. I started out with the name "Design and Ink"--yuck! Okay, now that I have a name that makes sense I cringe thinking about what it used to be. I wanted to open my Etsy store--like right away--and typed in the first thing that came to mind without reading the fine print that you wouldn't be able to change it! Was stuck with that business name for a while, hating it the whole time (Matt warned me not to be too hasty in the name decision--why does he know everything?), and eventually made the right but painstaking decision to change the name and open a new shop. So glad I didn't wait any longer--wish I would have done it sooner.
What is a project you hope + dream of working on in the future?
Dreaming: I would love to have my work published in a book about modern calligraphy. I think it is important to keep these old fashioned art forms alive and kicking and I am glad there are people in our society with an appreciation for it. I hope it will continue and grow. I'd love to take some classes and maybe even teach some in the very far future :)
What is inspiring about where you live?
Southern California is a hodge podge of inspiration. There's the beach cities that offer the tranquility and beauty of the ocean and silence. There's downtown LA full of fashion, art, hipsters, and museums. I like talking to people in coffee shops (which are trendy here too) to see what they like and what interests them. Some of my calligraphy styles have been born out of interesting conversations with strangers.
Who fuels your fire - who do you count on for moral support?
Matt is my biggest moral support and I am seriously so lucky he is my husband. I am not very good at self promotion and get a little shy when he talks up my work to people he meets, co-workers, family, friends, etc. He has great business sense and supports me with his knowledge as well as his love and genuine admiration for my work. Always makes me feel like I'm good at what I do and hands out my business cards a lot more than I do.
Davinah, my wonderful friend is another person who I will forever be grateful to have in my life. She is a rock and won't let me get down on myself when something goes wrong. She goes to great lengths to help me out when I need it, especially when it comes to my work because she understands it (she is also an entrepreneur). We get creative and always end up making something when we are together, I think she has an inspiration bug.
Which song would you choose to artistically represent yourself + your style?
I'm horrible with song choices... it's just that there is such a variety of music out there and I can't say there is a particular song that encompasses the way I feel about my style. Lame cop-out answer I know...
What are your plans for your business in the coming months?
In the coming months, I plan to get through the holiday season with flying colors! Anticipating busyness and lots of projects, and maybe a little vacation. For the new year, I hope to do a business plan so I can re-evaluate the current state of Angelique, Ink and set some goals for the year. One thing I want to incorporate in my schedule is free-creative time. Like free time--no projects, no obligations, no expectations, just time for me to be creative and come up with something new (even if it doesn't end up being something I will use for business or sell, it's just a good release for a creative mind).
FIND ANGELIQUE INK:
Main Website
Etsy Shop
Email Angi
Fan Angi on Facebook
On an unrelated note...
I almost forgot. I'm doing a coupon code this weekend for 30% off! Just use code JUMPSTARTXMAS for the whole weekend! Ends this Sunday at 12am CST. Now go buy!
Also keep checking out New Year Survey - lots of new and really fun entries have been posted! YES!
Your pal,
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