We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erin Anderson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started learning calligraphy in 2016. At the time, I was working a corporate job that I didn’t love and I really needed a creative outlet. It quickly turned into a little side hustle for me! I continued working and doing calligraphy on the side until 2021 when my son was born. Then, I quit my full-time job to stay home with him and focus on ECLetters. It all worked out well and I’m so grateful to be able to do things this way, but I do sometimes wonder what it would have been like to be a truly full-time calligrapher pre-covid and before becoming a mom. I think I would have been able to take on some opportunities that are harder for me to do now, like additional classes, additional travel, etc. Ultimately though, I think that things worked out well as they did and I wouldn’t change it!

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.

I’m a calligrapher who is all about creating hand-lettered happiness. I love all things pretty and colorful, which inspires my designs and playful lettering style. My goal is to spread joy through calligraphy with fun, cheerful paper goods; thoughtful, custom gifts and special event details; and fun, laid-back beginner calligraphy classes. There are so many ways that calligraphy can help add that special touch!

One of my bestsellers on Etsy is my oyster shell place cards. I use real oyster shells and letter on them, and they are so perfect for a coastal wedding, rehearsal dinner, or party! I really enjoy making unique place cards out of things like shells, or agate slices, or sea glass. I always say that no surface is safe – with the right tools, I can write on anything!

In my beginner calligraphy classes, it is so fun for me to see people use calligraphy as a way to unwind and be creative. Whether guests come solo or with friends, it’s always a fun, crafty night out! I love sharing the many different ways you can use calligraphy to add special touches to your home, events and holidays, and what a relaxing, creative hobby it can be.

I recently started venturing into the wholesale world with my greeting cards and stickers, and so far am in 7 different stores, which is something that I feel proud of!

Another thing that I offer is live lettering services, where I work with brands to customize items for their customers, like gift tags, cards, wine bottles, ornaments, etc…once I even wrote on yoga mats! These brand activations are such a great way to surprise and delight customers and show appreciation. It’s fun for me to chat with customers while customizing their items, too.

Overall, I love calligraphy and I am proud to be able to use it in so many different ways!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love getting to play a tiny role in people’s special moments! Whether it’s someone buying a greeting card from me to send to a friend, working on place cards or signage for a wedding, or friends coming to a calligraphy class for a girl’s night, it’s really nice to be able to help spread a little joy through calligraphy.

I also love the flexibility and the variety in the work that I get to do! Some days I do a custom Etsy order, other days I go teach a class in the evening, and sometimes I get to do a brand activation where I customize things for a store’s customers. It’s never boring and I’m always meeting interesting people, which is a lot of fun!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think it’s important to recognize that creativity and art is so necessary in our world! Supporting creative career paths and shopping small businesses are ways that we can support artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ecletters.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ecletters
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ECLetters
• Other: https://etsy.com/shop/ecletters