We recently connected with Rachel Shanle and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I am a self-taught calligrapher, however I have always had a passion for writing words. In elementary/middle/high school, I couldn’t get enough of writing everything in bubble letters. In fact, fellow classmates would always ask me to write their names on folders, or write words on white boards. I was always so happy to do it. My passion grew bigger & bigger, which led me to learning how to do calligraphy and really perfect my lettering style.

If I knew of all the resources to better my hand lettering several years ago, I would’ve been able to advance a lot quicker. Whether it’s watching YouTube courses, or following other calligrapher, I learn by seeing & doing.

One obstacle that has always stood in the way of learning more is that I am such a hands on, pen & paper person. I struggle with technology and it has always created a barrier in my ability to learn. Digital art is a very big part of calligraphy and that is the area I struggle in the most.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Rachel. I am a 30 year old Wisconsin native, who has always had a passion for art and hand lettering. I married my best friend in 2018 and we have a 1 year old puppy named Maisy. Both my husband and dog are my biggest supporters. From little on I’ve always been interested in anything crafty. Several years back, I had a friend ask me to paint some names on wine glasses for her. Little did I know, that would turn into something big. As the years passed, I developed a special interest in weddings. The main event I do work for now is weddings, and I love it. Weddings are so fun as I loved the wedding planning process for my own wedding, and now getting to be a part of so many other peoples big day is truly amazing. Some people come to me with a whole mood board envision, others have zero ideas in mind and they allow me to dive in more to the design process..

I think what sets me apart from others is first and foremost, my pricing. Being from a smaller town in Wisconsin, I pride myself with affordable pricing for everyone. Secondly, I’ve been told on countless occasions how consistent, and crisp/clean my work is. I pour my heart into every piece I create and love hearing & seeing reactions to final pieces.

I am most proud of myself, actually. I pushed myself to put myself out there on social media more this year and it’s paid off. This year has opened up so many opportunities for me & my business. Such as, participating in a styled shoot with many other vendors, doing collaboration work, partnerships with businesses, and much more. It’s been such a great year of growth and I cannot see what the remainder of 2023 has in store!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My advice.. slow and steady! I’ve been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster when it comes to building my page. Social media can be so deceiving because it’s so easy to compare yourself to others and watch your followers go up & back down. I’ve had to tell myself on numerous occasions that slow and steady wins the race.

One tip is to post as often as you can. I try to use Facebook & Instagram as my primary accounts. If I don’t have a post or Reel for the day, I will usually try and post to my story checking in with everyone. Interaction is key!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a calligraphy artist is the feedback I get from clients after they see their final products. I like to take nicer photos outside in natural light of my work and I send those to clients and use on my page. Returning customers are also one of the more rewarding parts of my job, to know that they have continued interest in my work is an amazing feeling.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @heartofwiscoartstudio
• Facebook: @heartofwiscoartstudio