Delores Naskrent: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Creative Juggle Joy podcast. I'm Delores Naskrent and today I wanna talk about a topic that's been on my mind for a while. If you're listening and you've been curious about lettering calligraphy, or how skills like these can quietly open doors into things like greeting cards, which I talk about all the time, or art licensing, or simply more confident creative work, this episode is for you.
What I especially love about today's guest is how parallel our journeys are in ways that we were. We didn't plan at all. Both of us started out studying design and multimedia back in the day. Both found our way to freelancing. We both fell deeply in love with the autonomy that creative work can offer, and both eventually failed to call to teach.
In my case, that included 30 years in the high school. Classroom alongside, you know, 20 to 30 [00:01:00] students and I was always doing two jobs, so that's why it sounds like I've done a lot of stuff. It's just I squished it all in there. Today I am joined by Nicole of iPad calligraphy. Nicole's work sits right at the intersection of lettering and digital tools and gentle confidence building learning.
She has helped thousands of students step into lettering on the iPad in a way that feels approachable rather than intimidating. Nicole, I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for joining me.
Nicole Mauloni: Thank you so much for having me, Delores. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.
Delores Naskrent: You know, I'd love to start at the beginning.
I would love for you to share a little bit more about your background and how you first found your way into creative work and design.
Nicole Mauloni: Sure. Yes. Well, I guess I've always been drawn to creativity. As a kid, I really loved painting and drawing. Not that I was [00:02:00] particularly good at it, I was just very enthusiastic.
So skill didn't arrive until much later. But after school, I studied multimedia at college and that gave me a really broad overview into a lot of creative fields like video editing. Layout and web design. And web design really stood out to me. I think I have a bit of a techie mind, so it was a good balance between left brain, right brain, and when I left college, I found a job with a rubber stamp wholesale company, believe it or not.
Where I did their graphic design work and also built and maintained like an e-commerce website for them. Wow. And a lot of that was learning on the job. Like I had never done that before. So I was breaking things and fixing things and hoping no one noticed. It was that kind of thing.
Um, but I moved to London in the UK in my early twenties and that period was super challenging. At first, I was really on my own and I couldn't find any design work straight [00:03:00] away. So I worked in hospitality for a while and even eventually became a restaurant manager. Wow. But I. Pushing towards it was definitely a, yeah, a pivot, but I kept pushing towards the creative work side of things and after a while I was interning at an agency, so for free, but it led to paid work and a job.
But after, I was made redundant one day, sort of out of the blue. And I discovered the wonderful world of freelancing. So that really opened some incredible opportunities. I worked for some amazing brands like the BBC on the BBS website redesign. I did Moshi Monsters, which is that kids brand, I don't dunno if you know that one.
Ted Baker, like a fashion label, amnesty International. So there was just like a lot of really interesting projects that I enjoyed. And it really confirmed my love of freelance life autonomy. It was, it was just completely changed how I, viewed creative work and I knew I just didn't want to go back to like a full-time traditional role.
So yeah, that [00:04:00] was very defining.
Delores Naskrent: That part of your story really resonates with me, honestly. Freelancing changes really how you look at the world and how you. Realize at that point I can actually do this. I can make money. Yeah. And you, your, your entrepreneurial side starts to come out. You start really realizing that creativity isn't just something you do on the side, it can actually shape your entire life and how you move through it.
So at some point, lettering and calligraphy entered the picture for you. Do you wanna talk about how that happened?
Nicole Mauloni: Yeah, sure. So, well, lettering actually came into my life through a client project. I was working, on something around 2015, and I wanted to create something that felt more handmade. So I started looking online for inspiration and I came across a hand lettering tutorial.
It just completely blew me away. 'cause I'd worked into design for years, but I'd never [00:05:00] really stopped to think about typ typography beyond choosing fonts. And suddenly I was seeing littering everywhere. Like once you see it, you can't unsee it, right? Yeah. So it's like shocked. Shop Windows packaging, all this beautiful hand lettering was, really standing out to me.
But as I explored more, I realized just how many lettering styles existed, because before that, my understanding was pretty basic. It was like script, San Serif. That was about the extent of my knowledge, but once I started digging in, I saw that each style had its own structure and history, one of the biggest light bulb moments was realizing how leather styles actually shaped by the traditional tools that create them.
So like brush lettering has really strong contrast because of the thick and thin strokes, because of the brush that's used to create it. And like pointed pen calligraphy. Yeah, like a style like copper plate has a really different feel. [00:06:00] It's like elegant with less contrast, but more regular spacing and form.
So I've really liked to learn things properly from the ground up. So I landed on copper plate to start with and I thought if I could understand, you know, the foundations and the rules. Of that style, I could expand from there, create my own style and really break those rules. So I took a few workshops in London and I spent a lot of time practicing.
Instagram was very helpful for inspiration. And I also referred to books like Eleanor Winters, mastering copper Plate, polygraphy. That was a great reference and I just used a lot of guidelines and practice examples to work with.
Delores Naskrent: Awesome. I love that you started with the traditional tools first, or at least learning all of that.
The foundations. Really matter when you're learning something like lettering.
Nicole Mauloni: Yeah.
Delores Naskrent: Even if the end result ends up being digital, you know? Yeah. It's the basis of the learning. One of the things I talk about, and especially during [00:07:00] my five cards and five days challenge is how powerful lettering can be. If you're interested in greeting cards or licensing, I mean, you just, you should just.
Do it. You don't always need really complex illustrations. I just had this conversation with somebody last night. Lettering alone can carry a design and a message. From your perspective, why do you think lettering is such a strong entry point for people that explore digital creativity?
Nicole Mauloni: Well, I think it just gives you a creative toolkit to really pull from, like, especially people that don't see themselves as particularly good at drawing or being creative.
It just removes that barrier. So you don't need to come up with anything from scratch. You're working with shapes that already exist. You learn how to arrange them and make beautiful art with. Them and you can just rely on that muscle memory. So for a lot of people, that is incredibly freeing. Yeah. And the [00:08:00] nice thing is you don't need handwriting because you're not writing in the traditional sense.
You're actually drawing different shapes and overlapping them and it's completely different skill. And that removes a lot of the intimidation. And I think digital lettering is also a great entry point for like. Procreate or learning apps like that because you are naturally learning layers and pressure sensitivity, and you build confidence with your skills along the way without even really realizing it.
Yeah. 'cause you're not overwhelmed or distracted, you know you're working towards a clear goal and that focus carries you through to other creative areas. Yeah, and I guess there's also a mindful element too, like it slows you down. Even though it's digital. You're engaged with your hands and your focus, it feels really restorative rather than other digital tools.
Delores Naskrent: Absolutely. I see that confidence shift all the time with my students and I personally have [00:09:00] experienced it. And I'd say quite recently in my own practice, because I didn't do a lot of hand lettering, but I, last year made a commitment to myself that I was gonna get better at hand lettering. And so I've been doing a lot more of it
I have realized exactly what you've just said, that you can create something intentional and finished and everything else starts to feel more possible. The muscle memory, just the way you swing your hand or your wrist, you know how it becomes. Second nature, you can just do it after a while.
Nicole Mauloni: Yeah, that's exactly right.
Delores Naskrent: That, that's, that's what's happened to me. I can absolutely concur with what you're saying there.
Nicole Mauloni: The movement itself, it allows you to sort of illustrate better as well, or it crosses over into your drawing skills, especially digitally, because you're just getting so comfortable with the Apple pencil.
Delores Naskrent: Yeah.
Nicole Mauloni: A great gateway.
Delores Naskrent: Absolutely. One leads to being better with the other. Absolutely.
Nicole Mauloni: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Delores Naskrent: Now you. [00:10:00] Talked about your journey, including a very personal and intense season of life, would you be willing to share a little bit about that?
Nicole Mauloni: Yes. No, of course. Yeah, that's fine.
About six months or so after I started my creative business, I unfortunately found out that my mum had leukemia. I was still living in London and my family was in Australia. So we knew that we had to go back. So my partner and I. Packed up 16 years of our life overseas and shut down everything in London and returned to Australia, which was probably part of our long-term plan.
But we just realized that we needed to do it a lot faster than we originally intended. And. For some reason, I just had this gut feeling that October was my deadline. And shortly after I moved home, my dad declined. It's very suddenly. We only got about three days notice and he passed in December.
But I was able to be hit by his side like it is. While it's a sad story, there's [00:11:00] just so much positive in there because, if I had not followed my instinct, I would've been in London getting a terrible phone call and trying to get a flight last minute would've just been horrendous. So I got to just.
Be by his side. And then, that time was also just full of Visa work for my partner's Canadian just like you. And we had a lot of, logistical things to look after and we, you know, moved house three or four times. And we got more time with my mom, which was fantastic. But unfortunately she did pass in 2020 . She didn't quite get to meet him, but she knew I was pregnant. So that was another, bonus plus, um, positive out of that. So that season, yeah, it involved a lot of change and adjustment, but I had the flexibility with my business that I could just. Walk away when I needed to, I could give my attention to the family needs as well as my own emotional capacity.
I could give myself permission to do that. [00:12:00] So yeah, it meant that, I had that stability and that creative outlet though, which was a real positive, element in my life through that time.
Delores Naskrent: Oh, thanks for sharing that. I really appreciate your openness and I totally get it. I wanna gently add that creativity has really played that similar kind of role in my own life though, in a different way.
There was a season when I was personally fighting cancer and during that time, this school, my membership, all of that was what really? Eventually got me through it because I just sunk my teeth in and I was able to focus on that more than focusing on my own. Ill health at that time, you know.
But because just like you, it's flexible. You're, at home, you can work around, whatever's going on in your life. I think it's important for people to hear about this, you know, those who are either going through it or, [00:13:00] because they're helping somebody else through it.
Creative businesses aren't always built in absolutely perfect conditions. As we both know. They're built alongside real life and grief and illness and caregiving, and lots of change. Lots of stuff has happened for me in the last couple years.
Nicole Mauloni: Well, that's amazing that it gave you something positive to hold onto too.
Delores, that's, thank you. Yeah,
Delores Naskrent: you're welcome. For someone listening who's curious about lettering or who's thinking about joining something like the Five Card Challenge, what encouragement would you offer in whatever season in life they're in, in whatever circumstances that they're in at the moment? What would you suggest?
Nicole Mauloni: Well, I think I would, definitely say to start small and stay consistent because it is so easy to just get overwhelmed with, the diversity out there and all the shiny objects. [00:14:00] Just choose one lettering style to focus on. Rather than trying to learn everything at once and you don't need a perfect studio setting or, a beautiful environment, just 10 minutes at your kitchen table with a coffee or even in the car while picking up the kids in the school lineup.
Parked of course, make sure. But I think one of the things I love about working on the iPad is just you open it up and everything is there. You don't even need all that equipment, so it makes it really versatile to really practice from anywhere.
Delores Naskrent: Yes, and that message aligns so beautifully with how I teach, too.
It doesn't matter to me whether it's lettering, illustration, or greeting cards. Progress comes from practice. That just fits into real life. And that's why I've really personally focused on the iPad in the last few years. Not that I can't do all of the same work on my desktop, but it's just so much more [00:15:00] convenient.
I can carry yes. Wherever I go, isn't it? I've always got my iPad with me, like the smallest trip into town. I've got my iPad with me. Yeah. Just in case I get stuck somewhere and I can do a little bit of something, so, and I'm so glad we've talked. Such, depth today because I know that we're going to do a bunch of stuff together, Nicole
Nicole Mauloni: i'm really excited. There'll be more for sure.
Delores Naskrent: So before we wrap up, is there anything you would love listeners to keep in mind as they explore lettering or creativity or just even the idea of turning their work into something more?
Nicole Mauloni: Yeah, I think just that message of that creativity doesn't have to look a certain way to be valid.
You know, your creative time, your practice, it just needs to fit with your life, not someone else's. 'cause it's easy to sort of see things on Instagram and think it has to be, you know, you have to wear this smock. Covered in paint and be, you know, with a hot steaming coffee, you know that image is beautiful, [00:16:00] but you just have to find what works for you and building your skills slowly and letting it exist alongside your normal life isn't a compromise.
It actually is the thing that's gonna lead to that sustainable and meaningful work.
Delores Naskrent: Yeah. Nicole, thank you so much for sharing your story with me today. Thank you for your perspective. I really appreciate the care that you bring to your teaching. And to everyone listening, thank you for being here. If lettering or greeting cards, or art licensing have been calling to you, I hope this conversation gives you a gentle nudge to explore that curiosity, keep creating, keep juggling, and most importantly, keep finding joy in the process.
