There are just some things that are immediately associated with weddings. A wedding cake is one. Letterpress printing is another. Calligraphy is as well. I got the pleasure of having Suzanne Miller from Suzanne Miller Calligraphy & Lettering as a guest on this week's podcast!
In addition to sharing insight on what calligraphy encompasses, I learned about the different applications for it as well as what styles are currently trending. Suzanne also shares how she's musically inclined, what movies she would star in if given the chance as well as how COVID-19 has impacted her and her family!
Make sure to click that subscribe button. And if you haven't left a review, I'd appreciate it! I might even read it on a future podcast!
The intro and outro for this Highlight Weddings & Events Podcast was edited and produced by DropHouse Voiceover Production Studio and Tony Tee Neto, Voiceover Artist & Audio Producer. For more info on branding elements, editing, and post-production services, visit http://drophouse.com.
The intro and outro used for this episode is Crush by https://audiohub.comLicense: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
There are just some things that are immediately associated with weddings. A wedding cake is one. Letterpress printing is another. Calligraphy is as well. I got the pleasure of having Suzanne Miller from Suzanne Miller Calligraphy & Lettering as a guest on this week's podcast!
In addition to sharing insight on what calligraphy encompasses, I learned about the different applications for it as well as what styles are currently trending. Suzanne also shares how she's musically inclined, what movies she would star in if given the chance as well as how COVID-19 has impacted her and her family!
Make sure to click that subscribe button. And if you haven't left a review, I'd appreciate it! I might even read it on a future podcast!
The intro and outro for this Highlight Weddings & Events Podcast was edited and produced by DropHouse Voiceover Production Studio and Tony Tee Neto, Voiceover Artist & Audio Producer. For more info on branding elements, editing, and post-production services, visit http://drophouse.com.
The intro and outro used for this episode is Crush by https://audiohub.comLicense: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
DJ Josh: [00:00:26] Well, hello everyone again. Thanks for checking out the podcast today. I have a super awesome guest with me. Her name is Suzanne Miller from Suzanne Miller Calligraphy and Lettering. How are you doing today?
Suzanne: [00:00:42] Doing well. How are you?
DJ Josh: [00:00:43] I'm doing okay. it's a Wednesday, summer day in Florida. So it's a little hot, but that's to be expected. So what are you going to do? Huh?
Suzanne: [00:00:51] That's right.
DJ Josh: [00:00:52] Okay. So, as I said, you run a calligraphy and lettering business. do you mind telling everybody how you got started in calligraphy?
Suzanne: [00:01:01] Sure. well, calligraphy for me started, I don't know exactly when I think I started around six years ago. my sister was the one who kind of introduced me to it. I have, of course I knew what calligraphy was just in generically before that. But she had kind of learned how to handle letter and do some faux calligraphy and things like that. And I saw her and she kind of showed me the basics. And, after that, she told me that she had just learned from watching YouTube videos and things like that.
And so I started watching some of my own and I picked up a few people to follow on social media. And over time, and I think that this is what most calligraphers do, you kind of pick up your own style based on what you see other people doing. And so I may have seen someone who did a letter, a, that I thought was really beautiful. So I took it and I kind of made it my own, but similar. And then somebody else, I liked another letter form that they had done. So you kind of pick and choose until you develop something that feels like it's your own. And that's kind of, that's where I got started. Well, that was for several years that I did that just for fun on the side.
But my parents actually, had a grand opening for their business back in spring of 2018. And they asked me to do the envelopes for their grand opening. And it was the first time I'd ever had anything, commissioned everything else had just kind of been for fun and for myself. After I did that and handed them over, they asked me if I thought maybe I should post them on social media, just to see if anyone might be interested in what I was doing.
And it just kinda went from there. I was able to start. Launched my own business on Facebook and Instagram shortly after that. And then, as you know, hurricane Michael happened later that year and completely changed our community in so many ways. Because of that, my parents, their property, they lost probably 90% of the trees on their property.
DJ Josh: [00:02:58] Oh, wow.
Suzanne: [00:03:00] And they owned five acres, so it looked radically different. It still looks radically different. And my dad had asked if I could take some of the wood from a tree that had fallen on the property and make something for him out of that would just a keepsake.
And so I did. I lettered a Bible verse on the wood and I just posted it as a memento and to see if there was any interest in anything like that. And there was tremendous interest and my business grew dramatically after that point and that led to more wedding work and things like that.
DJ Josh: [00:03:30] Okay. What excites you about being a part of a couple's big day?
Suzanne: [00:03:35] Well, so many things, honestly. I love weddings. I always have. And when I was even in high school, I had no prospects or anything like that. I used to just go and buy wedding magazines, and anything I could get my hands on, because I just love looking at the pictures and I love the way that things were styled.
And, when it came to planning my own wedding, I just felt completely in love with the process of picking colors and textures and really crafting a day that was special and unique. And I think for me getting to play around with that and make something special for somebody else. Calligraphy just puts a polished touch on somebody's day. And I felt like getting to be a part of that for somebody else, it just feels really special.
DJ Josh: [00:04:23] Calligraphy is one of those things that, when I think of it, I immediately associate it with weddings. As you're working with the couple, how can couples, working with you make their experience a highlight? What can they do to set you up for success and really give them the best experience possible?
Suzanne: [00:04:43] Well, I think, when couples reach out to me, they reached out to me for all different reasons. Some people are wanting hand-lettered envelopes when they send out invitations to their guests. Some people contact me specifically because they want signs and chalkboards and name cards and things like that for their wedding day.
Honestly, to set me up for success, it would just be to do a little bit of upfront research to kind of know what you want. And specifically, the style wedding that you're looking for. I had a bride contact me this week and I loved that she told me upfront that she was going for a boho inspiration for her wedding, which gives me a completely different parameter that I'm working in. Because boho is typically a looser style and something that's a little more fun as opposed to something that's super formal. Just kind of knowing the direction that your wedding is headed and what kind of materials you're gonna want for your day.
And of course, people change and aesthetic changes and things happen as you get closer and closer. But just informing me upfront what kind of feel you're going for. It really helps me even figure out my own lettering style for your specific event.
DJ Josh: [00:05:55] What's your favorite thing to work on for weddings? Do you prefer doing the envelopes or like you mentioned like a chalkboard type thing? Do you have a specific thing that's one of your secret favorites?
Suzanne: [00:06:08] Hands down without a doubt, and I say this all the time on my social media, it's envelopes. I could sit and letter envelopes all day long if I were given the chance. It's just, there's something so soothing and peaceful to just sit and letter envelopes all day long. It's my favorite thing to do.
DJ Josh: [00:06:26] Alright. So, and I'm sure that there are some things about calligraphy that I don't know, or I may be misinformed about. So what are some things that people may not know about what calligraphy entails?
Suzanne: [00:06:39] Sure. It makes me laugh, but I think the number one thing, and I get this question all the time. I have people tell me, "You're a calligrapher. You must have the most beautiful handwriting." And that is a hundred percent not the truth.
DJ Josh: [00:06:52] Interesting.
Suzanne: [00:06:53] Yes. Good handwriting and calligraphy are completely different things, sometimes mutually exclusive things. I think that sometimes calligraphers have the worst handwriting and we all admit to that. It's just a completely different process: handwriting versus calligraphy. Calligraphy is, actually, all about muscle memory in your hand. And, generally, it's a set of eight basic strokes. And with those eight strokes, you can make pretty much any letter form. Once you learn what those strokes are with the pen, it's just a matter of putting it together to form your letters. My handwriting is chicken scratch, but my calligraphy is completely different.
DJ Josh: [00:07:34] One of the things I like to do is I like to write handwritten thank you notes, just because it's not very common. So I have been working on improving my penmanship because I used to, when I was in grade school, I would try and write as, small as possible, but nobody could read it. And then I transitioned to just doing a block, but it was very sloppy. You would think that calligraphers would naturally just have legible handwriting because that's what you do.
Suzanne: [00:08:03] Right.
DJ Josh: [00:08:03] But that's very interesting. What are some other things that people may not know about your process or techniques and that kind of thing?
Suzanne: [00:08:12] Well, one thing I know that I've run into when people are contacting me about working on either a board for a wedding or envelopes or something like that is a lot of people don't understand that there are different pens and brushes that are used to create a completely different effect. I'm actually about to start working on a piece for a wedding, and they had sent me some examples to give me an idea of what they were looking for. And the examples that they sent me were actually watercolor.
In order to do watercolor, you actually use a watercolor paintbrush, and the process is the same. You're making the same letter strokes with the same finesse. But it's a completely different tool. And when I asked them, I said "So the examples are watercolor. You're wanting for me to do this in watercolor." And they said, "Oh no, no, not watercolor. We want for you to use like a crisp pin," which is a completely different tool. It's a completely different process. And so there's just a lot of misunderstanding. I think about what we do and what we use.
And right now I've noticed, cause I've actually been able to teach some courses in the past. Of course, I have not in the last six months or so. But early this year, I was able to hold a workshop, and part of that workshop is learning what those eight basic strokes are and the way we use that and the way that we practice is by using a brush-tipped pen. So basically it's a pen that has a brush on the end of it that's flexible so that you can make some of those loose lines.
That's what most people think of when they think of calligraphy. And that's what most people right now are wanting to learn because that's the one that I use when I'm playing around and having fun. And that's definitely what I used more of the beginning of my journey. But when I do envelopes, that's a completely different process.
And I use something called dipped pens or nib and ink calligraphy. And that's your traditional, old school, you have to dip the pen in a vile of ink and, kind of shake it off and get it ready. And there's all different things we have to do to even prepare the ends of these pens to work correctly.
Like we have to, keep them up and, it's an entirely different process. And so most people that have contacted me, they're wanting to learn or know how to do brush calligraphy. But the dipped pen calligraphy is a completely different process. And so that's part of it. It's just, You know, there's so many different ways to produce calligraphy.
Whenever I make signs, I don't use any of those processes because to make a sign on a flat, hard surface like that, you have to do something called faux calligraphy. You're basically faking it because calligraphy is a mixture of thick and thin lines and you can't do that with a paint marker. So you have to actually produce thick and thin lines by hand as opposed to having like a pen that's flexible. And so, there's a lot of different ways to produce calligraphy and do it for fun. Using brush calligraphy is probably the way to go. But in order to do what I'm doing, I had to learn many different forms.
DJ Josh: [00:11:16] Interesting. So conceptually in my head it's almost like, the act of doing calligraphy is similar to painting in a way, because you have the tip of the paintbrush, but you can also make it flatter so that it creates more thickness in the lines. Is that right?
Suzanne: [00:11:34] I think that's a great analogy. Because you know, there's so many different ways to paint and so many different forms of paint to use different mediums and it's kind of the same concept.
DJ Josh: [00:11:43] Okay. So what's your favorite medium for doing calligraphy?
Suzanne: [00:11:49] Well, because I love invitations, I would say probably using the nib and ink calligraphy, because that's what I use whenever I work on invitations is my favorite. But honestly, what I do the most of is creating boards and signs. So I use more faux calligraphy in my business than I do anything else.
DJ Josh: [00:12:10] Gotcha. So what are some trends that you've noticed, in the world of calligraphy? Are there things that are starting to become more common and popular?
Suzanne: [00:12:22] Definitely. Yeah, even since I started just a couple of years ago. Weddings themselves go through different seasons because when I got married, the popular thing to do was to have a very rustic wedding, and those are still pretty popular. I still make a lot of signs for events like that, but I've definitely noticed that there's this transition into a more polished look, I guess. A lot of what I'm doing now is making acrylic signs. I love making acrylic signs. I think they're so neat. And they're so versatile in what you can do with them. But it's the same process. I do the same thing. It's just on a different medium, but it makes the wedding look completely different. And so I've definitely noticed a trend shifting in that direction in the last couple of years.
DJ Josh: [00:13:10] What are some uses that you can use acrylic signs for?
Suzanne: [00:13:14] So many things. I see people using them, for menus, seating charts. You can use them just to welcome your guests to your weddings. Basically, anything that you would use to make a sign for. You can use acrylic for that. It's very versatile.
DJ Josh: [00:13:29] Nice. Do you play around with color? Is that something that you will incorporate in what you create?
Suzanne: [00:13:36] I do. I have a couple of sources that I consistently purchase my supplies from. I really can't purchase much of my materials locally because there's not a lot of choice with color. So that's the reason I buy a lot of things online because I have so many more options.
I just recently finished up a wedding where the bride wanted to use a Jade green for her envelopes, which is something that's different. It's not something you're probably going to be able to find here locally. And I ordered that ink for her and it was so beautiful and so different. I'm sure that her guests, that was probably the first thing they noticed. Grabbing it out of the mail, notice that it was a different color. Anytime you do something like that, I think people can tell that you've really put a lot of thought and a lot of effort into what you're doing. It just sets things apart and makes them special.
DJ Josh: [00:14:24] What are some things that people would be surprised that you can do? Or things that you wished couples would incorporate more in terms of calligraphy?
Suzanne: [00:14:33] Hmm, that's a great question. Honestly, personally, just because they're my favorite I really wish that people used envelope calligraphy a little more often. I think for so many people, it's kind of an afterthought. Even for myself, I didn't use it for my own wedding when I got married. I did not know how to do this, yet. It's something that I have learned since then. We did the old school, sit around the table with all your bridesmaids and everyone grab one.
DJ Josh: [00:14:59] I think we did that too, actually.
Suzanne: [00:15:00] Yeah. It was like a pizza party night. Which it was fun and it's a fun memory. But I kind of wish that I knew then what I know now. The first thing that somebody sees, most of the time in relation to your wedding, is going to be that envelope they pull out of the mailbox.
Calligraphy, it's not a necessity. You can have an absolutely beautiful wedding without calligraphy It's really a luxury item. And because of that, not everyone's going to have it and not everyone's going to do it and that's perfectly fine. But that's also what makes it special is the fact that not everyone does do this or even thinks to do it.
And because it's the first thing that someone sees when they pull that envelope out of the mail. Having it calligraphed just kind of sets it apart and it sets the tone right away for what your wedding is going to look and feel like for your guests. When people see their name and their address written beautifully on an envelope, it kind of makes them feel special. They were thought of and seen. That would be the first thing that comes to mind for me.
DJ Josh: [00:15:59] Okay. So, how has the Coronavirus impacted you?
Suzanne: [00:16:04] Well for me personally, my kids, I have three children, four and under, so they are very young and I'm a stay-at-home mom. That's really what my full time job is. This is something that I do when they are napping or asleep at night, which is not always the easiest thing to do. But right now that's how I squeeze it in. As far as my children, they don't understand anything really has changed because we spent so much of our time at home already. But my husband is working from home now, and that has changed. The fact that we're just not out going to church and doing our normal routine like we were before. Those things have changed some. But for me personally, that's about as much as we have experienced but I've definitely seen a shift in my business.
I actually was looking through a stack of my notes in a notebook that I had started at the beginning of this year. And I had written goals for 2020 at the top. Some of my goals were personal and some of them were related to my business. One of the things that I had written in all caps was FOCUS ON WEDDINGS THIS YEAR. And that has completely gone out the window. I had one, big event that I prepared for in the spring, but everything else got pushed back, dates changed, things are canceled. I'm just now, within the last three weeks, getting more contacts about fall weddings for this year, kind of last-minute things really and events for next year. And I'm excited about those things. But it's not what I was hoping for this year to look like.
I've also noticed that I have been getting a ton of work for signs for people's homes. And I think that has to do with the fact that people are home stuck in their house and they are renovating and they are doing everything they can to make it look a little bit different than it did in the spring when they got stuck in their house. And I've done the same thing. I've changed things in my house because I'm so sick of looking at the same thing all day long. That's something else that I've noticed. it's actually been a little bit of a blessing, cause it's let me focus on where I'm heading, as opposed to, just being stuck on what I was always doing.
And I actually have a website that will probably be launching in the next couple of days. I don't know that I would have gotten there if I hadn't been forced to focus on that and think about that and look forward to doing something a little bit different. It's certainly been a sad time and been a hard time, but, it's been a reflective time for me, too.
DJ Josh: [00:18:28] Yeah. When COVID-19 was becoming what it is back in the second week of March. Initially, it was like, "Oh my God. The world's ending. What's going on? What's gonna happen?" But I really have appreciated the forced break from everything, because it has really afforded me personally and other business owners that I've talked to the time to really be like, "All right. If I was busy, I wouldn't be focusing on how I'm doing the business. But since I have a lot of downtime, now I can figure out if the things that I've just been doing, because that's kind of how it's been and I haven't really had the space to breathe and then look at it. It's just been really good to rebuild it in a way. So it's that and the extra time I've been able to spend with my wife and our cat has been nice too, because busy, busy, busy. At least up until March. And it just feels a lot longer than six months ago when this all started.
Suzanne: [00:19:35] Oh, my goodness. Yes, it does a hundred percent.
DJ Josh: [00:19:38] Yeah. What's the website? Is it the website for your company?
Suzanne: [00:19:42] Yes. So it should be live very soon. It is going to be www.suzannemillercalligraphy.com. I'm super excited. My brother is actually a web developer, and he worked on it for me. We went back and forth and came up with some ideas that felt like my business. Cause I feel like too, it's kind of an opportunity to not exactly rebrand, but just to set my business apart and make a statement. I'm just excited to have something new and a new way for people to contact me that's a little bit more streamlined than what I've had in the past.
DJ Josh: [00:20:14] Nice. Well, now that we've talked to Suzanne Miller, the calligrapher, do you mind answering a few personal questions?
Suzanne: [00:20:23] Sure
DJ Josh: [00:20:23] Okay. So first question, and this is my favorite question to ask. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Suzanne: [00:20:31] A thousand different things at different points in life, for sure. But, I actually was originally going to school to be in the music business of all random things. Yes. I was supposed to attend Belmont University. I had gotten in and I went up there to Nashville to get started and find out my housing and my classes and all of this, and just did not get the best feeling and knew that that was not where I was supposed to be. I ended up staying home and attending Florida State and I ended up becoming a teacher. That was definitely the right decision for me personally. But yeah, it probably changed every couple of months growing up. I always had different dreams that I'd be. An astronaut was one that stands out for sure. Yeah.
DJ Josh: [00:21:17] What were you hoping to do in the music business?
Suzanne: [00:21:20] Well, that's a good question. I think that's part of the reason that I ultimately changed my mind because I don't think I fully knew. I kind of wanted to be the person who worked with a studio or someone who was able to scout talent. So that was my ultimate goal, but it just didn't work out and it wouldn't have been the right fit.
DJ Josh: [00:21:41] Yeah. I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was younger, but my vision disqualified me from that. So it was like "Sad face." What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
Suzanne: [00:21:55] Hmm. I think my followers and the people who follow me online would be surprised to know that I was somewhat musical growing up. I grew up playing the saxophone and the guitar and, things like that. That's not something I ever really share personally on that page or with anyone who follows my work, but yeah I was sort of musical growing up and, eventually, would kind of like to pick it back up one day when I don't have such teeny, tiny babies.
DJ Josh: [00:22:25] Right. If you could star in any movie, which one would you pick and why?
Suzanne: [00:22:30] Steel Magnolias.
DJ Josh: [00:22:32] Why?
Suzanne: [00:22:32] It has always been my favorite. That or Father Of the Bride. Those two. Which goes right along with the whole wedding thing.
DJ Josh: [00:22:41] Yes! You get extra bonus points for picking a wedding-related movie for that question. Yeah. Okay. So the last question is what is the best way for couples or other people that are interested in calligraphy to reach out to you to find out more information?
Suzanne: [00:23:00] Well, I would definitely say a good place to start if you're just wanting to get an idea of what my work looks like and what I offer, coming up soon, it would be my website. I'm also very active on Facebook and Instagram, but I'm trying to transition that a bit more to my email system. So that I can keep things a little bit more organized. I don't know if you use Facebook messenger, but things get a little bit lost and messed up in that sometimes.
DJ Josh: [00:23:25] No, I definitely try to transition all the conversations into email cause it's just easier to keep everything organized.
Suzanne: [00:23:31] There's something about email that feels more formal and just better for business, for sure.
DJ Josh: [00:23:36] Totally. Well, Suzanne, thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with me and sharing with myself and the listeners about calligraphy. If you haven't yet make sure to check out her Instagram and her Facebook and I'll link those in the show comments. Here's to the couples that are planning their wedding and here's to making that wedding a highlight.