I sat down to create this weekly email, and something in my body just didn't feel right... I was all jittery, like there was too much on my plate and a few too many sips of coffee in my blood and my brain was jumping to something new every 26 seconds.

So instead of forcing myself to write a chirpy message to you, I pulled out my Blackwell Oblique and a fresh sheet of Bristol paper and made this:

... and now I'm almost in tears (??) because even after ten years of near-daily calligraphy, it still has the power to pull me right back into my center and remind me how beautiful life can be. Every single time. Like, wha.... I can't even put into words how much this craft has given me.

And the message is true, too. You are closer than you think, I promise, to gorgeous calligraphy, to making your first sale, to the confident version of yourself you've always wanted.

That's what this week's Creative Business Real Talk is all about:

"Your first client is closer than you think"

Because you don’t need a full-blown plan, a perfect brand portfolio, and a social media calendar to start making money with your calligraphy.

In this episode, I share how I helped a student get her first calligraphy jobs, including:

• 🔸The TWO simple things I told her to do first
• 🔸Why pitching yourself isn't as hard you think
• 🔸How starting a business isn't an impossible mountain - it's a set of doable STAIRS

You’ll walk away believing that success might not be as far off as it seems. In fact, you might be just a couple weeks from getting YOUR first clients!

Free "Women Unleashed" Online Solstice Retreat

If you're needing a little calm... this online retreat might be perfect for ya. It's like a sacred, meditative collection of guides to help you reconnect with yourself and close out your year with creativity and intention.

I'll be teaching you how to do calligraphy-with-any-tool, but there will also be sessions like:

• Grieving Who We Were. Celebrating Who We Are Becoming, an art experience with Chris Zydel
• Soulful Strokes Intuitive Watercolor with Cynthia Hauk
• Embracing Ease: A Collage and Meditation Experience with Jennifer Lee

Exactly two weeks 'til the end of 2025... wishing you moments of both calm and joy.

Shinah 💕