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

Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Like most creatives, I would say I am “self-taught”. I have always loved design and art ever since I was a kid, became an art major in college, and worked as a graphic designer for both small and large corporations. This helped refine my design skills, but as far as creating a stationery business, I had to learn through trial and error! This has formed and shaped my current processes and best practices, making things so much easier for both myself and my clients, but it took a long time for me to get to where I am. If I could go back to when I was just starting out, I would reach out to other established invitation designers, or even print shops, and get some actual advice. I know not everyone will share this advice for free, but there are also many designers that offer courses for purchase, and you can get involved in an online creative community!

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?

Hi! I’m Melissa! I am the heart and hands behind this little design studio, and a one-woman show! I unknowingly started Hello Invite in 2010, after designing all of the wedding stationery for my very own wedding! I loved every wedding planning minute, and actually got my first inquiry DURING our wedding reception! From there, it snowballed from a hobby to a full-time job!

Creating of every kind has always given me joy. It’s something I look forward to doing and while it is in fact my job, it has never felt like “work”. I mainly design wedding stationery but since becoming a mom, I find great joy in birthday invitations and birth announcements! I love the actual designing portion, creating something beautiful from an idea and a blank piece of paper, and then finishing it with embellishments and 3D elements, to really bring it to life. In my opinion, that’s what makes it so magical!

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

For me, the finished product is 100% the most rewarding aspect of being an artist! The cycle of creating can be so different and challenging with each and every project. Sometimes you get stuck in a creative block, sometimes your head is swimming with too many ideas, and sometimes the opposite happens and you don’t have enough ideas. But when it finally clicks and you are able to beautifully bring your ideas together, that’s the most rewarding moment! You are ultimately giving your client something they could not have done by themselves. Something they will love and cherish forever. That’s the reason I love what I do.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My family. Before having children, I used to work so many long hours, but my goal was always to be able to spend as much time with my family as possible. I am finally to the point where I can do what I love, while also being present with my family every single day. That can look different for everyone, but for me, it’s mainly working during nap-time and after bedtime, and the rest of my days are spent with my babies, just soaking them in!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.helloinvite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloinvitedesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064975842031

Image Credits
Personal photo: Brooke Townsend Photography Other photos: taken by me