We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elise Sandidge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Elise thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Art is risky. Every single day, every single post, every single stroke of a pencil or brush is a risk. As an artist and creative person looking to earn money for my work, the vulnerability of putting my soul out there in the world for consideration by complete strangers is immensely risky. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Because, I’ve come to learn I can’t separate myself from my work. A lot of business advice is to not take anything personally that has to do with my work. But when the creation itself comes directly from my heart, my soul, my interpretation — it can’t not be personal. In a way, I’m asking people to accept (buy my services) or reject (don’t buy my services) my truest self, in the form of my art. I draw inspiration from a landscape or a venue; from a color palette, from textures, light, shadow, architecture; from the love stories of my clients. But every design that makes it out of my heartspace and onto paper will always have my signature, my thumbprint, which is deeply rooted in my life experience. Transforming my art into a career is quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had an epiphany recently where I gave myself permission to take things personally when it comes to my work and business. This will sound odd but here’s what I’ve learned: when we say “oh it’s not personal, there are a million reasons why they don’t want to hire me and it probably has nothing to do with me personally” etc. then we remove any responsibility or accountability from that exchange. My business is quite literally a reflection of me as a fully-formed human. My history, my style, my taste, my skills — that’s all this business is! If I had chosen to start a laundromat business, OK, you can say it’s not personal when someone takes their laundry to your competitor across town. But I didn’t. I chose to take the risk to transform my art into a money-making business. The measure of success of this type of business is how authentically me my work can possibly be. And with that comes a lot of feelings and emotions — both great and awful. And you know what? I’ve learned to sit with the unpleasant feelings that come from taking that risk, let them wash over me, and move forward. Art is risky. But without risk there’s no reward.
Elise, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Elise, the all-hats-wearer at Birdsong Bespoke — a full-service stationery design and print studio based in Boulder, CO. I specialize in custom-designed wedding paper goods featuring handwritten calligraphy and letterpress printing. Learning the stories of my clients, who come to me from all over the world and all walks of life, is a delight and honor. I believe in guiding my clients on a journey where we will translate their love story into exquisitely designed paper goods. I hand-select every material from top suppliers in the world resulting in a perfect harmony of colors, textures, printing methods, and embellishments. My design approach is rooted in understated luxury.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Every time I put pen to paper to manifest my ideas, I aim to create an experiential journey. My background is in architectural design and what always lit me on fire was creating spaces where the occupant could explore, discover, delight, dream, and push the boundaries of their 5 senses. I’ve taken that same drive and translated it into luxury stationery, which is illustrated in no better way than letterpress printing.
Letterpress is a class of luxury in the paper world that prides itself on the kind of craftsmanship rarely seen these days. It dates back to the 14th century when the first printing press was invented. The results are a truly handcrafted product with a gorgeous tactile impression on the pillowiest cotton papers. Letterpress is an investment in the artisan’s craft and knowledge of the ancient machines. My letterpress machine, Birdie, was made in 1911!
Beyond this special printing method, I aim to create a delightful experience for anyone who holds my stationery in their hands by introducing unconventional materials and techniques to each piece. Custom pockets and wraps, hand-sewn details, using materials such as fabric and wood. It’s all with the goal to inspire a few gasps or jaw-drops!
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I recently invested in mentorship and coaching and I so wish I had known to do that sooner. The amount of knowledge I gained and the depths to which I grew both personally and professionally are immeasurable. Not to mention the incredible value of having a group of like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of and support each other. As a solo-preneur, it can be quite isolating and difficult to find resources and help. My mentorship academy was like a spring board to launch me into another realm in my business, rather than it constantly feeling like an uphill trek by myself.
A word of caution though: the field of coaching and mentorship is saturated right now. I took my time to really find the right fit and boy am I glad I did. I almost invested a lot of money ($5,500 to be exact) in the wrong coach and luckily I veered away at just the right time. I first started by investing in smaller pieces of educational content from a few different coaches to understand their style, expertise, and value. I hovered in their orbits for a while, observing them on social media, reading their newsletters, signing up for their free mini sessions or IG lives. Then when it felt truly right, I invested in a big mentoring program of someone I had admired for a long time. All that patience and diligence paid off in a huge way because I made sure I got exactly what I needed and the value was WAY beyond the price. The investment should feel like a big YES in your heart and not like pressure from any outside source, including the coach themselves. The right fit will come if you take your time, pay attention, and keep your heart open. 
Contact Info:
- Website: birdsongbespoke.com
- Instagram: @birdsongbespoke
- Facebook: birdsongbespoke
Image Credits
Birdsong Bespoke