We were lucky to catch up with Baylee Jutting recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Baylee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I began my full-time career as a Calligrapher with the full intention of it being temporary. We had just relocated for my partner’s new job around the same time as I had finished up my Masters Degree, which had been yet another ploy for post-poning adulthood. I thought I’d apply to be a teacher and take the summer to relax a bit and work part-time on my Etsy shop selling calligraphy goods, mostly for weddings. It had never been anything more than a hobby for me, but it did allow me to make a few extra bucks and enjoy what I was doing. When the end of summer came around, I realized I enjoyed working on my craft more that I thought, and decided I was going to turn this into my full-time job.

It took a few years to finally earn what I was making during my first job as a designer post-undergrad. It’s been a long road to where I’ve gotten now, but I wouldn’t change anything looking back. A lot of ups and downs over the past few years have taught me how to manage being a small business owner.

Baylee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Baylee Jutting, and I make and sell various calligraphy goodies. I mostly make wedding details, including name cards, table numbers, seating chart cards, etc., but I’ve been branching out with other various crafts & goods to appeal to a wider audience.

Ever since I was young I’ve loved to create things, whether it be home decor items for myself or gifts for friends and loved ones. I’ve dabled in sewing, painting, overall crafting, and eventually fell in love when I took a stab at teaching myself how to do calligraphy.

From there sparked years of teaching myself until I got confident enough to start selling through Etsy, and the rest is history.

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

For me, the most rewarding part of what I do is getting to work with brides (and/or grooms) to create something they’ve envisioned for what should be the best day of their life. It’s an amazing feeling to play a small part of someones wedding day, especially after creating that relationship. I truly have some of the best clients and I’m so grateful to make their visions come to life!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think this is more about being a small business owner in general – but I have to explain to some people I do more than “play and write things” all day. There are so many more aspects to having a business than meets the eye – there are endless hats you need to wear all. the. time. I don’t have the luxury of PTO or leaving the office at five – if a customer needs something or has an inquiry, I try my best to respond right away.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tinycraftsbybay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinycraftsbybay/?hl=en

Image Credits
Elisa Rose Photo