Meet Jane Gahng

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Gahng.

Hi Jane, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my business in 2007/2008 creating stationery, greeting cards, and handmade paper goods and selling them at farmers’ markets and holiday events around LA. I slowly transitioned into custom wedding stationery when a friend was getting married and asked me to help her with the creative stuff for the wedding, like her invitations. I gladly helped her and learned how to use design programs to get it produced. After I did that, slowly people started to ask me to help them with their own invitations. It took a little face-to-face networking and wedding industry events but I eventually started to get work from wedding planners and industry people. Now I’ve transitioned majority of my business into design work specializing in murals, licensing my work for products and brands, and client work that consists of mostly lettering and illustration-based requests. I’ve also opened an online shop selling my artwork! Prints, stickers, and other desktop niceties.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey to get to where I am now have definitely been all over the place. And I’m proud of that. I feel like it’s a badge of honor to know that even through everything, I’m still standing and working as an artist after having started this business 16 years ago! I struggled a lot with my own confidence and mindset. So many people have told me no or rejected my purpose or artwork to varying degrees. I’ve had to let myself mourn, pick myself back up, and then face the reality that no one chose this for me but myself. So no one gets to judge or pick me apart for my artwork. It’s a matter of taste and the more I was able to shut that negative voice in my head down, the more I was able to form my own confidence and joy in what I was doing.

Even after all these years, I still struggle with focusing on what is important to build my business. But I’ve also learned that my journey is unique to me and no one else gets to have a say in that.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My creative life spans a wide range of options for my clients. Some people are known for one thing or style. I don’t fit that mold and don’t feel like I need to. I’ve carried my business starting from stationery to custom wedding invitations to event branding & personalization to lettering & calligraphy to licensing artwork to painting murals. I’m proud of my progression because I know I can tackle most things that come my way if given the opportunity. During my entire career, I’ve had to take one long hiatus. My personal life was a mess and it was affecting my professional life. I stepped away from that and had to reassess what was important to me. It was during this time that I got into self-development and healing. Even though it was a dark time for me during those two years, if it wasn’t for that time, I don’t think I would’ve been able to progress to what I’ve been able to accomplish now. This career path is / has never been easy. I’ve chosen to explore a lot of ways to express myself through art rather than sticking to a niche. I feel that this helps me get better at all the other ways I can be creative for my clients. I feel that I’ve been able to create a world for myself that I need to thrive as an artist as well as giving to my clients in ways that may be unexpected.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love LA for the culture in the arts, food, and so many different neighborhoods. The thing I hate is the traffic.

Contact Info:

• Website: red-letterday.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jane.gahng/