Conversations with Stacy Shon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Shon.

Hi Stacy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Stacy – artist and owner of Letters & Feathers. I started my business back in December of 2020 and it’s been quite an adventure ever since! Growing up, I always had an itch to create. In high school, I discovered broadcast journalism and filmmaking. In college, I pursued film + video production further. After graduating, I jumped right into a career in the entertainment industry working on the set of American Idol, music videos for Jennifer Lopez, commercial projects with brands such as Apple Music, Nike, Facebook, Converse and more.

Last year when the pandemic hit, I lost my very stable and comfortable job in production. With so many life changes happening and a lot of time to reevaluate the course of my life, I was able to reconnect with a hidden dream of mine: to build a business of my own and do something I had grown to be very passionate about — watercolor painting and modern calligraphy. After a whole lot of back and forth battling self-doubt, I finally mustered up the courage to launch Letters & Feathers where I began creating handmade greeting cards with original watercolor art + hand lettering.

I am both humbled and grateful for a consistent stream of business in these past six months of operating my business and selling over 500+ items in my shop thus far — slowly but surely, my small little business is growing!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been easy and there’s a lot I could say about the struggles of starting a business! I think the biggest hurdle for me was getting started because that was the scariest part! What if people didn’t like my work or thought my art was ugly? Would people even buy the stuff in my shop? Putting my work up online for people to see was SO scary and vulnerable for me, as I am sure it is for many artists.

I also caught myself comparing my work to other watercolor artists and calligraphers who were already established and had many more years of experience than I did. This was not helpful for my growth and I realized that it actually was not a fair comparison to look at the beginning of my journey and put it next to someone who has been doing it for 10+ years!

All to say, believing in myself was something I had to work towards, but I am so glad I took the risk and shared my art with the world. The biggest lesson in my journey is just to do the thing you’re passionate about and now allow other people’s opinions or perceptions of you dictate your life choices. Your passions are not accidental and going after them is the most fulfilling thing you can do for yourself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, L&F specializes in original watercolor painting and hand lettering! I believe what sets us apart from others is the unique quality of work — nothing is printed, everything is hand-painted or lettered by me! I love personalizing greeting cards, canvas art, bookmarks, etc. that I create and sell in my shop. Each item I create is one-of-a-kind.

Although I have short-term and long-term goals for my business, I also love seeing where things organically lead me to. I’ve seen a huge demand for custom pieces of work and half my orders are commission-based projects right now. They are actually my favorite because I get to create something super special and unique for the customer, work with them one-on-one and help them to creatively express what they cannot.

I believe art has the ability to convey and evoke a range of emotions that words sometimes cannot. I am most proud of the work I do that can communicate in that way.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Staying true to myself and who I am is the most important thing to me and my success. I want my work to always be an honest expression of who I am and what I stand for. I view my work as an extension of myself and will always work to preserve that.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: lettersandfeathersco.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lettersandfeathers

Image Credits:
Jamie Guan