“How do you get over all of the doubts and all of the objections and just do the d*mn thing?”

- Shinah

You might be a little surprised to see this episode — yes, last week’s episode WAS the season finale of Season 1 of The Shinah Show. I’ve had such an amazing time creating this first season and am so grateful for all of the subscribers, reviews, five-star ratings, and support that I’ve received over the last few months.

After I finished recording the last episode, I sat down and thought about it a little bit more — and I decided that I didn’t want to leave you hanging for all of December!

I’ll still be taking a bit of time off to recharge and gear up for Season 2, so my team and I have put together four “remix” episodes to help you keep your creative juices flowing through the holiday season.

Each remix episode will feature handpicked insights, stories, and tips plucked from the last 35 episodes. If you’ve missed out on any past episodes, this month will be a great opportunity to hear the best nuggets of advice from Season 1. If you caught the show every week, these remix episodes will remind you of the tips and tricks that you may have forgotten — and help you keep those creative fires burning!

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• The secret Season 1 theme I uncovered while choosing clips for the remix episodes
• What you can expect from December’s remixes, episode by episode
• How to get over the destructive perfectionism that may be standing between you and achieving your goals

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:34  Intro

01:49  The hidden Season 1 theme

03:11  Remix overviews

04:07  Remix #1 breakdown

05:19  Work out your want muscle

13:59  Inspired perfection v. insecure perfectionism

17:56  Recap & three questions

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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!

“This illusion that we have time… that is what keeps us stuck in the safe place, when really we want to step into the brave place.”

- Shinah

This is the final episode of the first season of The Shinah Show. What better time to share the #1 most important lesson that I’ve learned in my life?

This is a valuable and devastating lesson that I had to learn through lived experience — an experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone — and it’s one that has transformed my life a full 180 degrees.

Without learning this painful yet life-affirming lesson, I would not have been able to create the life that I now live.

I would have remained stuck in a law career that was making me miserable, instead of learning how to embrace bravery and the unknown. I would never have taken the leap into building a fulfilling, creative life doing something I love.

This episode gets a little emotional. 

This episode gets a little philosophical.

And I hope that it helps at least one person step outside their comfort zone, take advantage of their full potential, and create something amazing.

This episode is dedicated to my beautiful friend Andrew, with the deepest love and gratitude. 

Tune into this season finale episode of The Shinah Show to find out why “now” is the best time to act.

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

02:27  The lesson

03:28  Andrew’s story

06:48  The diagnosis

07:52  Five months

09:07  The inspiration

11:21  Andrew’s dream

13:13  The lessons of 2021

14:58  Make it happen

16:28  Recap

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 new calligraphers are entering the market all the time, and thousands have come in and succeeded in various ways... why can’t you?”

- Shinah

This episode of The Shinah Show was inspired by a real conversation in my Instagram DMs. In it, I debunk one of the biggest myths out there about selling calligraphy services and products.

Through my classes, I’ve helped many people fall in love with the art of calligraphy. And, just as I did when I was learning, many of my students wind up considering the idea of starting their own calligraphy businesses (yay!!).

But I’ve noticed one major fear tends to stop them in their tracks — before they even get started!

It’s the belief that the calligraphy market is “too saturated.”

Yes, there are a lot of great calligraphers out there right now. But I’m telling you right now, there is MORE than enough space for you as well!

If your brain is telling you that there’s no room for you, that you won’t be able to stand out, that there are already too many talented people out there… all that’s doing is stopping you from starting, through fears that aren’t based on any real evidence!

If you never start, you DEFINITELY won’t succeed. Your only chance of living your dream requires taking those first steps!

If you’re truly interested in starting your own calligraphy business, but are afraid that the market is oversaturated, then you need to listen to this episode right now! 

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• Why your brain likes to f*ck with you when it comes to establishing your pricing — and how to stop falling for its tricks!  
• The big questions you need to ask yourself in order to shift your mindset around creative entrepreneurship 
• How to recognize sub-markets, identify your niche, and then OWN it!

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:34  Intro

01:19  The Instagram conversation

03:43  The irrationality

04:57  Why competition is a good sign

06:24  Perfection is not required

07:12  Questions to ask yourself

07:50  “Saturation” is not a new idea

09:17  Recognize sub-markets & own your niche

11:34  How many customers do you REALLY need?

13:14  Recap

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 put good things out into the world, true, honest, beautiful things… and you’re not exactly sure what the return will be. And a lot of times, things beyond your wildest imagination can happen!”

- Shinah

What if one single, solitary thank you card could change the course of your ENTIRE business?

Sounds like a creative writing prompt, right?

Well, it happened to me.

If you’ve listened for a while, you know that I started Crooked Calligraphy back in January, 2016. And that my wildest dream was to have a booth at the pop-up maker’s market Unique LA.

Well, I lived that dream. I snagged my booth, built up my inventory, and sold greeting cards, prints, and gift tags. And I had an amazing time. Such an amazing time that I did another Unique LA booth six months later.  

I had such a fantastic experience doing those shows that when December rolled around, I sent a holiday/heartfelt thank you card to the woman who founded Unique LA.

… And what happened next was beyond anything I could have anticipated when I sat down to write that simple message of gratitude.

Check out this episode to learn how to write a message of gratitude that resonates — and the magic that can happen when you create that personal connection!

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• Why sending thank you cards to other business owners is such a powerful gesture — and how they can help both parties 
• How one simple gesture can trigger a snowball effect that offers huge opportunity for your business
• How I wound up working with Moët Hennessy only two years into running my calligraphy business

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

01:45  Been a rough year!

02:59  Line dancing!

04:31  My Unique LA story

09:20  What happened with the card

10:14  Digital creators summit

11:40  Live calligraphy gig & more

13:28  Glenmorangie & Dom Perignon

16:39  Ferragamo & Jo Malone

17:36  Make room for the magic to come in

18:14  Delivering the right message

21:19  Recap

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 more you put yourself out there… the more you’re going to get some negativity back.”

- Shinah

This episode of The Shinah Show is dedicated to all the haters. Yes, really. Because even if it isn’t their intention, their negativity can actually have some pretty amazing benefits!

Here’s the thing: your creativity isn’t for everyone — and it shouldn’t be! The truth is that you will need to repel certain people in order to attract YOUR people.

So if you get a lot of undeserved pushback from people around you when you’re just trying to live your most creative life, don’t worry. That just means that you’re sending out a strong message, and it IS going to reach the people who need to hear it the most!

Oh, and all of the negativity and sh*tty comments that you get from your haters? I’m going to teach you how to turn it into connection GOLD — so let’s get started!

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• The 2 major reasons that I receive hate mail and why I get that pushback   
• A real-life example of how I turned online negativity into a source of new connection  
• Why you need to keep in mind that your creativity isn’t for the haters, it’s for YOUR PEOPLE

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:34  Intro

01:54  Not “watching my language”

05:01  Talking about selling

05:50  Calligraphy challenge example

09:38  Turning hate into connection

10:25  Positive email example

12:20  Your work isn’t FOR the haters

13:44  Speak to your people

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 really can’t go after something unless you have some tiny belief that it’s possible.”

- Shinah

Have you ever joined a $30,000 program? I have. (And no, you didn’t misread that number!).

I know what you’re thinking right now: “Was it worth it?”

The short answer is “Yes.” The long answer? That’s a little more juicy. I definitely had a lot of hesitation and even fear going in. $30,000 is a lot of money! And for the first few months, I really didn’t feel as though I belonged there. (Technically, I didn’t quite meet the revenue requirements to even join!)

But I took the plunge.

And I am SO HAPPY that I did. 

Not only did I make incredible connections with the other members of the program, but throughout the year of my membership, I managed to boost my revenue from $200k annually to $900k.

(You didn’t misread those numbers, either.)

But here’s the thing: before I could reap these incredible benefits, I had to make three major mindset shifts. Want to learn more? Hit play!

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• The 3 important mindset shifts I had to make in order to get the most out of my high-ticket program experience
• How I more than tripled my revenue over the course of the yearlong mastermind
• The magic that can happen when you’re able to embrace some uncomfortable feelings

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

01:46  About the mastermind

03:25  Post-law confusion & growth

04:50  Smallest fish in the pond gets big

06:12  The mental shift

08:14  The belief shift

11:24  The emotional shift

14:19  Recap

15:18  Consider the real ROI

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 you’re a small fish in a big pond, there’s so much room to grow.”

- Shinah

Are you used to being the smartest person in the room? (Or at least THINKING you are?)

Do you get anxious in situations where you don’t feel like you have all the right answers?

Having pride in your intelligence is one thing, but when you place too much emphasis on being smart, you can fall into a self-limiting trap!

Growing up, I always thought of myself as The Smart One.

And while that gave me confidence in certain situations, it also held me back in a lot of ways that I’ve only just begun to clue into!

In this week’s episode of The Shinah Show, I lay out three different curses that can befall us when we are TOO focused on intelligence as our defining feature. (This is an especially important episode for anyone who identifies as a former “gifted” kid!)

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• The three curses that come with being smart (yes, of course there is a catch!)  
• Why you need to let go of the belief that you must always have all the right answers!  
• How to value the many amazing types of intelligence in the world that differ from your own

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

01:31  Early pride in my intelligence

02:52  Family life

03:58  Realigning my values

04:50  You don’t need the right answers

07:14  Be open to learning!

09:35  Expand what ‘smart’ means

12:25  Different types of ‘smart’

13:49  Don’t be afraid!

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 point of this isn’t actually to bring in a lot of money… the point is to get your name out there!”

- Shinah

We’re entering into the holiday season, and you know what that means! It’s time for craft fairs and holiday markets! For creative entrepreneurs, this can be a very lucrative period of the year, and a time where they get the opportunity to meet and make connections with new (and potential future) customers.

If you’re just starting out on your creative entrepreneurial journey and aren’t sure how to best tackle the craft fair season, don’t worry. 

I’m here with practical, tactical advice to help you make the most of this time — and these tips work for all types of crafting, not just calligraphy!

I actually owe a lot of my own success to participating in a pop-up market during the first year of my business. 

In this episode, I’m going to share some of the lessons that I learned from my pop-up experience, and break them down into digestible, actionable steps — everything from how to set up your table and display to how to price your goods!

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• How I used my first pop-up market experience to create concrete deadlines and an ambitious goal during my start-up stage
• The most effective way to display your stuff — and how much inventory to bring 
• What to consider when setting your pricing — and how to prepare to take payments

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

02:21  Prepping for Unique LA

06:07  My pop-up market experience

07:24  Time commitment v. sales

08:56  Setting up your space

10:51  Vertical space + signage

12:30  Be prepared to edit

13:53  Choice overload

15:00  How much inventory to bring

17:13  Pricing 

18:48  Sales tax + payment methods 

19:54  Customization

21:39  Do a live show

23:59  Build your list

24:49  Beyond sales

28:15  It’s possible!

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com
Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 she took one step off that pedestal of perfection, she’d fall right down… out of the light, and warmth, and praise.”

- Shinah

This is an episode of The Shinah Show that almost never was.

I definitely struggled a little bit with whether or not to tell the story that I share in this episode. Not because I was embarrassed or ashamed of it, or thought it wouldn’t be useful. But because I didn’t know if I wanted to be this vulnerable.

But turning 40 has given me a new outlook and perspective, and I really think it’s important to talk about it.

If you’ve been listening for a while, you know that I’ve struggled with perfectionism since my childhood, and it’s led to a lot of anxiety and negative self talk. Maybe this is something that you deal with, too. 

So, in this episode, I want to share a short story that I wrote about a little girl who tried her very hardest to always do the right thing and always have the right answers — and why this approach caused her so much harm.

Making the choice to abandon the quest for perfection?

It’s very simple.

It’s very hard.

And it’s very rewarding.

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• The psychological harms that are caused by perfectionism    
• Why it’s so important to shift your mindset around always being the best 
• Why it’s up to YOU to take control of your narrative and create a more joyful approach to life

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:32  Intro

01:05  Perfectionism

02:06  The power of writing

03:27  Story

06:12  You can make the change

07:25  Recap

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebook: facebook.com/crookedcalligraphy 

Show notes can be found at theshinahshow.com

Watch these episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJJZS9jYDmzePAnaGDiFuw 

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!

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 you are forced to kind of pause everything in your life… it gave me a lot of time to just reflect on what I was doing with my life and where my priorities were.”

- Mélissa Lehoux

My guest for this episode, Mélissa Lehoux, has one of the most incredible calligraphy stories I’ve ever heard — and her story is proof that calligraphy is for absolutely everyone.

In the summer of 2018, Mélissa was diagnosed with aggressive Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that causes her immune system to attack her central nervous system, leading to nerve damage, numbness, tremors, and loss of motor control.

She picked up her first calligraphy pen in March of 2020… and launched her calligraphy business just 3 months later.

And let me tell you — she is making it WORK. And giving back while she does it.

Through her business, Chronic Letters, Mélissa offers clients her own style of beautiful calligraphy… and every purchase supports the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

In this interview, Mélissa shares some inspiring insights into the power of calligraphy to spark creativity, how she created business-savvy connections with other creatives in her city, and how discovering her love for calligraphy has helped her with her diagnosis.

Tune into this episode of The Shinah Show to find out:

• How to put yourself out there and carve out a space for your own unique calligraphy style  
• Mélissa’s business tips for new creative entrepreneurs who are ready to take the plunge
• How calligraphy can actually be medically beneficial when it comes to certain conditions (yes, really!)

About Mélissa Lehoux: Mélissa is an artist, calligrapher, and mom from Ottawa, Canada, trying to maneuver life’s multiple facets… with a chronic illness tagging along. She was diagnosed with aggressive Multiple Sclerosis in 2018 and her journey to acceptance led her to her passion for calligraphy.

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:33  Intro

02:18  Meet Mélissa from Chronic Letters!

03:32  Her MS diagnosis

05:18  Embracing the shake

06:53  Medical benefits

08:52  The invisible, uncertain disease

10:14  Learning to go for it

12:47  Chronic Letters

15:27  Creative entrepreneur advice

17:46  Putting yourself out there (& distinguishing yourself)

20:00  Is the market too saturated?

20:51  Networking with your local connections

23:04  What’s next for Chronic Letters?

24:30  How Mélissa learned so quickly!

27:15  Final takeaways & find Mélissa

30:15  Recap

 ‌

Links:‌ ‌

Chronic Letters: lifewithasideofchronic.com 

Instagram: @chronicletters 

Free resource for anyone looking to start their calligraphy business: chronicletters.com/chronic-letters-business 

Learn calligraphy with me: www.freecalligraphyworkshop.com

Follow me!

Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

Facebo

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!