‘You can do anything but not everything’ they say…but what if everything creative flows through you in many multifaceted, Renaissance-like ways?! The limitations of self-expression are not my own, they are within other people who cannot fathom that one is not only capable but NEEDS to express their creativity in many forms….Therefore the frustration is that you are misunderstood or defined as only one thing, because that is easier for people to characterize you within a social/cultural structure that runs on ‘Hi, nice to meet you, what do you do?’ rather than ‘what sets your soul on fire here and now?’

I am Betty Soldi – a calligrapher, designer and creative thinker. I come from a Florentine family that has been handmaking fireworks since 1869 and through developing my talents I like to say that I now make fireworks with ink! I have developed my own original calligraphic style which, being a graphic designer, I merge with a heritage of design references for emotionally compelling branding, bespoke visual arts projects, graphic design communication, lifestyle objects, stationery and packaging collaborations.

A single favourite piece of work I have created is an abstract swirl of swooshes I penned when I discovered I was going to have my daughter, much-longed for, and it became our beautifully engraved Christmas card for that year with the words ‘merrily merrily…life is but a dream’ and now it adorns my name identity as an ode to magic and fireworks in the sky.

‘INKSPIRED’
I am a driven Cancerian, so a natural dreamer, with a heightened imagination and so my own mind can often suffice for creative inspiration. After many years of living in London I have now returned to my native Florence, Italy where art and culture abound. What really thrills me though is knowing the ‘why Michelangelo sculpted this, or why Leonardo painted that’ – what were they thinking, what was the culture of their time? I love delving into the meaning of things. A splodgy painting. A blurry photograph. Modern or ancient, everything has a story behind it or in front of you to tell.
I was approached to write a calligraphy book and said no, thank you, I am in no position to compile a manual/ a ’how to’ for perfect ABCs, that’s maths to me. I’m about letting go, which is sometimes actually harder than controlling which is what we aim to do all the time. And so the publisher said fab – write about that – so I have a book, ‘Inkspired’ which has been published in 10 languages and where I share my story, because everyone has their own journey as to how they come to writing, through how it serves them to express creativity or emotions or thoughts, and the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment it can give them. I wish I had known that you can use styles and calligraphers you admire as a guide, not to mimic but as a voyage to achieving your own style, with its quirks unique to you. I wish I had encountered more people that celebrated mistakes, because they are precious and often unrepeatable and they belong to you, just as much as the good stuff. In fact, they serve you more to learn from, to be surprised by, to laugh at and be frustrated with and journey along with…

INKSPERIENCES
Betty Soldi ‘Inksperiences’ range from specialised brand activations and appearances to bespoke experiential events that merge artful themes with Betty Soldi’s unique approach to design and modern calligraphy.
Held internationally, from corporate masterclasses to intimate intellectual gatherings, the scope is to flourish and develop self-expression through the language of handwritten words. These can vary from a few hours of lighthearted playful workshops to a retreat day or several days of collaborative art, culture, food, beauty, contemplation and self-exploration.
The inksperiences held in Betty Soldi’s design studio, a ‘limonaia’ from 1801 housed inside a secret Florentine private garden, can be tailor-made to a specific theme or client passion, but often connects the Renaissance wonders to be discovered throughout the city with the creative thinking of the time and how those illuminated ideas are still relevant today, developing the notion of ‘flourishing’ in a handwritten, creative way that is not about control but about letting go. An unconventional artistic approach to self-discovery within a magical and unique setting.

ALL THE RENAISSANCE FEELS
As well as having a creative calligraphy and design studio over the last few years my partner and I have opened three boutique bed and breakfast hotels in the quirkier more artisanal Oltrarno area of Florence, and I am the brand guardian and co-ordinate the PR for them. So we have photo shoots in the works, constant marketing and collaborations. I have written fearlessly on some of the bedroom walls, this is where calligraphy/design/art/interiors collide beautifully!

I hope I look back in 5 years’ time knowing that I have put my energies into the kinds of people and projects that give me bliss. Working for yourself, at any moment something wondrous can appear, or you can create it, even better with inky stains on your fingers, the sign of a day well spent! The magic is in your hands.

I was working in London and through previous client contacts was asked to be involved in a really high flying major design/branding project – developing multiple creative designs, presenting to a high rolling team – the client was always happy as the creative process progressed but one person from their team made every meeting really difficult, questioning everything and trying to shoot down creative solutions that had reason and meaning behind them. For me, work is about the flow, not just the creative flow but the person to person flow. When that human connection grates and you only encounter resistance, that is not a good place to be artistic. That is the one and only time I broke a contract, left with my values intact wishing everyone well. I have been told in the past by clients ‘you are not the “best” designer we have met for this project, but it will be so much fun to go on this creative journey together, your positivity will shine the way forward so we choose to go with you’.

Fulfilling a SENSE OF PURPOSE. I have a talent, that needs nurturing not in controlling the hands, manually, automatically, but in the soulfulness of letting go and acessing deeper, higher sides of ourselves. And I know that when I show how and when that happens and how it becomes real in what and how and where I write, the spaces I leave untouched, the intention and fulfillment- all of that inspires people into stepping into a creative force that is within all of us, that wants and needs to be expressed. We can be creative in everything we do and are, say and not say.