Conversations with Claire Braby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Braby.

Hi Claire, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up, I was always involved in arts and music; from taking classes in school to going to summer camps. I come from a very artsy family, my Mom was a music teacher and owned her own dance studio and all of my siblings played musical instruments at some point throughout our youth. My brother is an extremely talented watercolorist, backdrop artist, and mask artist–creating them from cardboard, paper mache, paint, and other reusable resources. He’s worked with several visual art mediums, and his talent is incomparable. Over the years, I had fun exploring different art forms but ultimately ended up in a musical career teaching violin (which I still do to this day).

About seven years ago I was feeling ‘stuck’ and decided to start reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. One of the exercises in her book is to take yourself on an “art date”. So, randomly I decided to take a calligraphy class as my art date. I had no real knowledge of the art form. I had seen this fancy writing all over the place but didn’t know much about it and certainly didn’t know if I had the ability to create it. Well, as soon as I left that class, I purchased every tool, paper, and ink that my bank account would allow and started practicing. I practiced every day for a year! At that time I was teaching violin and working part-time in a small gift shop in Seattle, WA. My boss at the time had seen the practice I was putting into my newfound love of calligraphy and suggested I try opening my own business. I think my eyebrows went up to my hairline when I heard those words come out of her mouth–haha. Of course, I was flattered but also terrified! I had never thought about opening my own business let alone something as vulnerable as art. I accepted her words but took time to really sit with that thought. Fast forward to today, and I’m approaching my 6th year in business!!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think entrepreneurship is a smooth road ever. If someone has experienced that please let me speak with them–I wanna know their secret! When you begin a new business or run your own business, there’s more work involved than you’ll ever imagine at the get-go. The work never stops because you’re not only playing all the roles in business but decisions that you make will create other decisions, and more will follow from those decisions AND if you’re truly a creative, you’re also constantly thinking of the next thing you want to do/create. So there’s a constant flow of work and ideating. The other side is that none of us truly know what we’re doing–we’re all just figuring it out. No two businesses run the same and certainly no two entrepreneurs operate the same. From how-the-hell-do-I-file-my-taxes to is-this-idea-going-to-be-a-flop-or-success…(spoiler alert: the idea you thought would flop always becomes a best-seller and vise versa!)

Once you feel established and you’re starting to make a little money, the next bump in the road comes from delegating all the “stuff” that’s now unnecessary for you to be spending time on. That can be scary though because you’re letting go of a small portion of the flow of your business and you’re trusting someone else to be as diligent as you. That’s hard. Additionally, it’s more money out of your pocket to pay people to assist. But, if it’s done right, delegating can also make you more money. It’s a delicate dance for sure and doesn’t always pan out the way you expect. There’s a lot of trial and error. Also, I’ve learned that some people have really great intentions; they just might not align with yours at the end of the day…

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in handmade, hand-designed wedding invitations. I think what sets me apart from other artists is that I incorporate watercolor and sentimental aspects into the design of my client’s invitations. I have a thorough consultation where I learn as much as I can about the couple so that I can create true, one-of-a-kind pieces that will be talked about for years to come. Everything I create is 100% custom. I don’t use templates or outside designs.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books: Michael Michalowicz-“Profit First”–highly recommend for any entrepreneur
Jonah Berger “Contagious”
Rachel Rodgers “We Should All Be Millionaires”
Jen Sincero “You Are a Badass at Making Money”
Anne Helen Petersen “The Burnout Generation”

Podcasts:
The Diary of a CEO
Balanced Black Girl
A Creative Life
Suze Orman
*There are so many random 1-episode podcasts I’ll listen to depending on what they’re teaching/talking about.

Contact Info:

• Website: scrollingcalligraphy.com
• Instagram: scrollingcalligraphy
• Facebook: scrollingcalligraphy

Image Credits
Nicole M. Ryan Photography