We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deborah Mintcheff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deborah below.

Deborah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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?

As it turned out, calligraphy found me. It would be helpful for you to know two things about me: I am all about creative processes, and I have not been shy about changing careers every ten years or so. To my way of thinking, there is nothing worse than not loving what one does, especially considering how many hours we devote to work.
Before I became a calligrapher, I was a food stylist, recipe developer and cookbook producer. Six years ago, while at a photo shoot for a cookbook, during some down time, I scrolled YouTube and happened upon a video of a calligrapher writing with a pointed pen. I was mesmerized as I watched the calligrapher writing the way it had been done for hundreds of years. As the pen gently scratched across the page, ultra-thin upstrokes connected to thick, juicy downstrokes. The ink, a deep brown, had been made from green walnuts the same way it had been made since the days of quill pens. I was instantly hooked and knew that this was going to be my new creative path forward. I quit my job and devoted seven days a week to learning this new craft. I started by watching free YouTube videos, then signed up for Zoom classes taught by calligraphers from around the world to learn Copperplate, the classic nineteenth-century script that is graceful and elegant and graces many wedding invitations and envelopes.
I devoted my days to practice, writing for hours on end to gain proficiency and control of the nib and ink. Calligraphy is defined as the art of creating beautiful writing and that is no small feat. I am also a very determined person and knew if I wanted to become a top calligrapher it was up to me to make that happen. People often think that to be a calligrapher you need to have good handwriting. But that is far from the truth. My handwriting is barely legible and good handwriting doesn’t necessarily determine success. Calligraphy requires patience, focus, and a calm state of mind. This ensures that the pen strokes are beautifully produced reflecting total control of the pen and ink with no shakiness or less-than-perfect letterforms. Like writers, artists, and other creative types, calligraphers work quietly in their studios where there are no distractions.
I spent the next three years taking classes to further hone my skills, learning a wide range of scripts, while building a portfolio of work that I could confidently show to perspective clients. I also took the path of other calligraphers and aquired other skills that would showcase a wider range of expertise. This included painting with watercolor and acrylic, gilding with 24K gold leaf, mastering various historical designs to embellish commissions, and designing one-of-a-kind holiday and special-occasion cards. The biggest challenge, however, was gaining confidence as that takes time, and confidence can only be achieved with experience and managing one’s successes as well as one’s failures. With time, my “toolbox” of skills and abilities expanded to the point where I felt I was ready to “hang out my shingle.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Once I gained the required skills needed to be a calligrapher, the next step was to turn my avocation into a moneymaking business. To do that I took an eight-week-long course titled The Business of Calligraphy. It included:
Hobby to Business
Having a Life
Becoming Legit
Brand Identity
Building a Portfolio
Getting Found
Building an Audience and Network
Selling Stuff
Diversifying Your Revenue Stream
Money Stuff
Contracts

This course was a game changer as it gave me a clear path for success. I applied for a business name—TheArtfulPen—and an EIN, hired a designer to build a website that reflected who I was, had professional headshots taken, started posting every day on Instagram and connecting with the worldwide calligraphy community, and hired an SEO expert to ensure that my website had all the right keywords and embedded language so I could be found easily on Google searches.

I now provide clients with a wide range of services, including wedding work, envelope addressing, place cards, poems, vows and commissions, watercolor cards, certificates, and handwritten notes and letters, as well as private calligraphy lessons. I offer clients seven different scripts to choose from, so each job is a custom fit. I continue to take classes and learn new scripts, as what is in vogue is constantly changing so I must constantly change and up my game. I am based in New York City. Half of my business is for private clients and the rest is for high-end corporate clients. My private clients are often the mother of the bride. They are always under lots of stress and often quite emotional. I make sure that they know that I will take great care of them. That puts them at their ease and makes all the difference. I am often asked to work on a very short turn around, which is never a problem, as I love a challenge. As this is a service business, I do my utmost to be flexible and accommodating. I believe what sets me apart is my ability to not only give clients what they want, but to always show patience and have clients understand that I will provide the best service possible and be a pleasure to work with. No matter what challenges clients throw my way, I make it work. When I send a project back, a hand-painted watercolor thank-you card is always enclosed. Many times, clients write me and say what a lovely person I am to work with. That, I believe, is what has my clients returning again and again and recommending me to others. I have a great attitude, love what I do, and will do whatever it takes to be the best.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

A website and showing up on Google searches was how I started getting known. But the game changer was Yelp for Business. I had not really considered Yelp as a place to have clients find me but a Yelp representative gave me a call one day and said that he thought that Yelp for Business could be a great way for me to expand my reach. He helped get set up and I created a portfolio of my work. I pay a set fee per month to be promoted on Yelp, which translates to my business, TheArtfulPen, showing up first when someone searches for a calligrapher in my location. I also pay a small fee every time someone clicks on my business to get more information. This has translated in getting several calls a week, sometimes even a day about my services. Yelp has a chat with me about once a month to see if I need to tweak how I am showing up and if the arrangement is still working for me. Yelp also has reports for me on how many searches there are, how many website clicks, etc. All very useful information.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have been blessed with wonderful, appreciative clients who love my work. I enjoy being in a service business where I am asked to create work for a wide range of events. That is what continues to drive me on my creative journey. I have been asked to do calligraphy for many unusual, challenges projects that keep me on my toes and push me to continually hone my skills and grow my range of work. It is never boring and I push myself to ensure that I give 100 percent to each job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartfulpen.com
• Instagram: @theartfulpen
• Linkedin: Deborah Mintcheff
• Yelp: theartfulpen