It’s OK to Stop Growing Once in Awhile

This is a short, light-hearted episode about a new podcast that's delighting me and a new creative endeavor (completely unrelated to calligraphy) that's really fueling me right now. 

💁🏻‍♀️Listen in to hear:

• How I'm thinking about "self-improvement" now that I'm in my mid-40s
• What the wealthiest, oldest people are still worried about (according to Amy Poehler)
• Why I'm having fun writing very mediocre poetry right now 😂

“Good Hang with Amy” Podcast

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• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

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• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

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• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

LaTache began her calligraphy journey just a few short months ago – after dusting off a 4 – year old gifted calligraphy kit that had been sitting in the back of her closet. Now, she’s almost made her full course investment back off of one referral from a friend, that  just happened to be for a high end brand needing place cards for a Michelin Star dinner. Crazy, right?! Not as much as you think! 

Join me as I learn about LaTache’s whirlwind calligraphy journey and how tapping into your network truly is the best way to get your foot in the door! She shares with me:

• How simple birthday & greeting cards for family and friends can turn into “sneaky marketing”, and create connections you might never have established otherwise
• The specific course curriculum that allowed LaTache to adapt to client requests (and land her jobs!), and what makes our Crooked Calligraphy Community so special (spoiler alert – it’s the STUDENTS)
• How she’s “figuring it out along the way” and having the courage to put herself out there and just start!

LaTache & SO MANY of my students have chosen to listen to the pro’s rather than the con’s of beginning their calligraphy journey. If you want to follow along in their footsteps, my signature courses are open for enrollment through April 1st, 2025! Whether you’re just starting out, or looking to hone your style, we have courses for every part of your journey! Check them out HERE!

📲 Follow LaTache & Stay Inspired:
https://www.instagram.com/latachedesigns

https://www.latachedesigns.com/

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

It’s been 10 years since I started Crooked Calligraphy – and I’m finally where my 2015 self always dreamed I’d be. I have a steady $200K a year business, 3-day workweek, and I’m more at peace than I ever have been.

But the truth is, that peace has come from a lot of resilience, faith in myself, and ability to ride the waves (and it’s been *quite* a ride). And there are still times I have doubts and have to sit in uncomfortable situations – but at least I get to do it on my own terms.

Join me this episode as I share:

• The hard truths about owning a business, and why even if it’s your “passion” it’s not always going to bring you “joy”
• Why its necessary to give yourself time to settle in and calm the nerves
• The importance of your business not being your everything, and learning what your “enough” number
• How after even 10 years, things can still be unpredictable – and that’s ok

It’s important to realize that starting a business won’t solve all your problems or make them go away. Rather, it will allow you to look at your problems more truthfully and take the responsibility upon yourself to try and solve them (and no one else).

And if you’re wanting to take the leap and see where calligraphy can take you, I’m hosting 2 free live trainings March 25th & 26th, 2025 on Confident Calligraphy Style that will teach you how to create a standout style and land big corporate clients. Sign up RIGHT HERE!

Episodes I referred to in this week's podcast:

• S1 E10 Getting Corporate Calligraphy Clients
• S1 E88 How to Start a Calligraphy Business (Getting Customers)
• S1 E118 High Paying Calligraphy Skills

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

What if you wanted to start a calligraphy business… but you lived in the “wrong” place? Like a country where nobody speaks English (the one and only language you speak)??

That’s exactly what happened to Lisa MacIntyre, who has lived in a small town in Korea for the past 20 years. She found our MC201 course and, despite not being able to find ANY supplies, pursued her dream of learning calligraphy & creating her own unique style (wait until you hear about the tool her husband made out of a paintbrush and a pineapple can 🤯).

In this episode of The Shinah Show, Lisa shares how she turned her lifelong curiosity about calligraphy into a real, paying business — even in a “suboptimal” location. From getting paid commissions to landing a feature in a national Korean newspaper, Lisa’s story proves how passion and creativity can truly fuel your dreams. Plus, she’s using her calligraphy skills to inspire ESL students and bring beautiful lettering into local festivals and classrooms in her small Korean town.

Join me as Lisa and I discuss:

• Why a lack of “ideal” circumstances shouldn’t hold you back from what you really want to do
• How to incorporate calligraphy into niches where it’s never existed
• Lisa’s real motivation behind her creativity & learning a new skillset (and its NOT money!)

If you’ve ever doubted your abilities or blamed your circumstances for not going after your dreams, this episode is for you!

And if you're ready to pursue your own unique calligraphy style, our Modern Calligraphy 201 course opens for enrollment March 25th, 2025! Want to check out a preview of our course & access free lessons all March long? Register for Style Month right HERE! 

Lisa's Website: lovelyletters-bylisa.com
Lisa's Instagram: @lovelyletters.bylisa

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

When a single corporate client paid me over $10K for one project — and $6K of that was digital calligraphy — I knew I had to pull back the curtain on this game-changing skill!

While I would describe myself as a pen-and-paper calligrapher, digitized calligraphy has become a necessary add-on to most of my commissions. Of course, most of my clients initially contact me seeking handmade original pieces – but whether they want to duplicate my work numerous times, use it on their website for branding, or frankly I myself don’t want to write the SAME PHRASE thousands of times, I need to be able to generate a digitized version of my work (and save SO MUCH TIME in the process!).

So how do I go about doing that? Good question! In this episode of The Shinah Show, I’m breaking down:

• The “tech side” of calligraphy, how to digitize your work, and what tools you need to do it
• The vast number of projects you can create with digital calligraphy (and how it can open up soooo many more revenue streams for you)
• How I’ve priced my digital work over the years, and what key factors should dictate what you charge for your work

If you have ever wondered if learning how to digitize your calligraphy is worth adding to your skillset, I hope this episode will show you how many doors this talent will open for you!

Interested in learning how to add style to your calligraphy and capture corporate clients? I’m hosting “Style Month” all March long! Join me for tons of freebies & weekly live lessons RIGHT HERE!

Timestamps:
4:30 — What counts as digital calligraphy?
7:15 — The two stages of digitizing your calligraphy (raster vs. vector files)
16:51 — How digital calligraphy can boost your revenue
23:35 — My digital calligraphy work: From $90 logos to $6000 corporate projects
29:10 — Pricing digital calligraphy: Why usage matters

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

You’ve FINALLY booked a spot at your local craft fair to sell your calligraphy. You pay the deposit, create your inventory, follow all the tips to set up the *perfect* booth, and… *crickets*. 🦗

Hundreds of people walk by, only TWO stop to peruse—and suddenly your brain goes, “This will NEVER work. I’m not cut out for this. No one’s interested in calligraphy!” Sound familiar?

Yep, we’ve all been there. It’s called “catastrophizing” – in other words, you’re jumping to the worst possible conclusion. And this is EXACTLY what one of my students, who this exact scenario happened to, did. She emailed me wondering how she could be doing all the RIGHT things and getting NO results. 

So, what advice did I offer her? I asked her, “What if it’s not you, but rather the result of factors beyond your control?”. While you can be doing ALL the things, sometimes the cards just aren’t in your favor; you’re in the wrong place, at the wrong time – and that sucks. But it’s no reason to give up!

On this episode of The Shinah Show, I’m sharing with you:

• Why a slow start sometimes has NOTHING to do with you, and everything to do with your environment
• How to pull yourself out of the catastrophizing mentality and keep going rather than throwing in the towel
• My own experience with slow starts & the process I use for looking at the whole picture and determining where to go from there

Owning a business is such a learning and growing experience – and we’re all going to have growing pains. Don’t let those slight derailments keep you sidelined and scared to push forward💪

Shinah Show Episode 29 - ”Selling at Craft Fairs: Essential Advice”

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

If you’ve ever feared someone criticizing you for selling your creative product, listen up!

If you’re new here – welcome! My name is Shinah, and I unabashedly sell premium level curse-word laced calligraphy courses on a very public scale – and over the past 8 years, I’ve gotten a lot of shit for that.

But if you’re not new, you know those neigh sayers have just fueled me to become more outspoken. And in this week's episode, I’m going to teach you how to reframe your thinking so you can go from cringing at negative comments and worrying about putting yourself out there (like I used to!), to confidently running a million-dollar creative business too!

Here’s what you’ll learn this week:
✔️ The hidden beliefs behind negative comments (hint: they’re not really about you)
✔️ How to reframe your mindset about criticism so it empowers you instead of stopping you
✔️ Why selling your art isn’t “icky” or “wrong” (and why women especially need to hear this)

I’m here to show you the real meanings behind the harsh words people say – because no one should have the power to tear you down (especially when their own insecurities are really the issue). Let’s dive in!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎧 Are You Actually Growing Your Business—Or Just Keeping Busy?

If your to-do list looks more like a laundry list, and you’re constantly posting on
Instagram, answering emails, and juggling customer inquiries—but somehow, your
big goals keep getting pushed aside—this episode is for you.

Today, we’re breaking down the difference between working in your business vs. working on it. In the past 10 years of owning my own business, I’ve realized that those little dopamine hits (like wasting time on 40-minute Reels 🙃) might feel like they are moving you forward, but aren't always doing so. Sometimes it’s the boring things (like reviewing my expenses and auditing my software that’s been on my to-do list for MONTHS) that are the crucial factors in growing your business. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ The four key “time buckets” you should be using in your biz (you’ll be shocked at where you really spend your time)
✔️ How cleaning up the backend of your business and doing little things – like creating saved email responses —can save you HOURS
✔️ Why you need to routinely build time into your schedule to wear your “CEO Hat”, so you can hone in on the overall picture of your business and get done what you really need to

⏳ It’s time to stop spinning your wheels and start running your business with intention. Let’s dive in!

👉 Want personalized guidance? I have a few business coaching spots open—check out shinahchang.com to learn more!

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Feel Like Your Biz is Running You? Here’s How to Take Back Control

You’re working your butt off, posting on IG, trying all the things… but the sales? Meh. 😩 It feels like your business has a mind of its own, and you’re just scrambling to keep up.

I finally started feeling in control (and paying myself consistently!) when I did one thing: tracking my numbers. Not just finances, but time spent, conversion rates, and what’s actually working.

In this episode, I break down:
🔹 The real reason you’re not making enough sales (hint: it’s not just “I need more followers”)
🔹 The key numbers you can start tracking NOW - for your website, craft fairs, even in-person workshops
🔹 How my big January launch really went—and what the data is telling me to change next time

If you want more predictability (and fewer “WTF am I doing?” moments), start here.

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

The Pro Calligrapher Bundle - open for enrollment through Tues, Jan 28, 2025!

Five short stories from students who signed up for our calligraphy courses 2 - 5 years ago. How they’re doing (you won't believe some of them!) and what actions they've taken to continue to growing their businesses. 

Because an investment in our courses (and your creative & business skill)... is an investment that pays off for life.

"If you keeping waiting for your circumstances to be ideal before taking action... then you'll always just keep waiting. It's crazy that I could've started YEARS ago." - Shivani, Pro Calligrapher Bundle student

FREE WORKSHOP:

• “How to Become a Calligraphy Pro” Educational Workshop

FOLLOW SHINAH:

• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!