I think I have been subconsciously aware of #1, which is why I keep saying no to all the people who tell me I should open a bakery. Because I like to bake (and it makes me happy when people enjoy my food), but I don't want to have to bake.
Yeah, that's the thing I've recently become conscious too. Whenever we see someone doing great in a hobby we recommend them to earn money from it... which means we are telling them to quit their hobby and start a new business. Before this video, I couldn't find good words to say why someone wouldn't want to earn money from something they're doing great as a hobby.
You give THEE BEST advice and tutorials! This video is speaking to my SOUL!! Lol So real and so honest! Thank you, THANK YOU for everything that you’ve contributed to the calligraphy and lettering community! You really have a special gift! You’re AMAZING!
So lovely to not feel alone in the points you made, I started photography at 17 it was 100% a hobby now I'm paid and doing well but it's definitely caused burnout. I also totally felt the same when you said people asked you what your hobby was and your drew a blank. I feel that way because its merged. Thank you for sharing this.
I'm a new dog trainer and am finding all 3 of these things are happening. I'm so anxious about the finances (QB is terrifying!), I went down a rabbit hole and found calligraphy! So thank you for the distraction. In my free time I hope to foster and train so I hope you can still do your beautiful art just for yourself in your free time. Thank you for putting this out.
What you said about turning a hobby into business really hit home. I am finding myself resenting going in there and crafting now that I am turning it into a business.
I am just getting done with Registering my Business in Texas! I avoided this for a looooooong time as well and am finally jumping into the waters of making it a small business! Thank you for this encouragement! I am waiting for my LLC to be completed before I make my business bank account! But, I find all your tips for calligraphy/ small business/ beginners so so so helpful! My story is very similar to yours! And I'm ready to follow in your footsteps in making my hobby a business!
Okay first of all at this point I've stopped even watching the whole video before I like because the content here is absolutely amazing! Secondly these are such great points I feel we all somewhere know this but realising it is completely different. So thank you Becca for this!
Very helpful information! I'm considering starting a side business with calligraphy and would love to have you do more videos on business. It's always nice to have some advice from someone who's got experience!
Thank you, Becca, for sharing this information. I appreciate your honesty in laying it out there about your fears, and cautioning us how a hobby will no longer be a hobby once it's a business. It's something I am wrestling with right now, as I contemplate whether or not to invest the time and energy required into starting a creative business, thereby losing that hobby as a therapeutic outlet for creativity. So thank you for posting this, as it was timely and has given me more food for thought. Also, like many others, your videos inspired and encouraged me to try learning calligraphy in the first place, so thank you for that! You are the best!
I have been dealing with these fears for a year and a half. Oh my gosh I am so grateful for this information/video!!! You just made me feel so much better and I thank you thank you thank you!
So true! 12 years ago I got into makeup, started doing makeup on myself, and started taking classes. I would sit at 10pm on a Sunday night in my pjs, to do makeup on myself, just for the fun of it. Then I started getting clients for makeup and it became an extra income. In 2016 I started doing makeup full time and it's my only income right now. Makeup stopped being as much fun, I do LOVE doing makeup on other people, but on mysefl? Not doing it for fun anymore. There was a point in which I was teaching classes daily, and HAD to wear makeup everyday. HAVING to do it took the fun away. Last time I wore makeup was 5 months ago.
Reminds me of when I was teaching. Creativity can get lost in the admin and management side of things. I love the honesty of this video. Thank you. 🙌🙌 I've been asked to do things for friends and it definitely stressed me out + took some of the love out of calligraphy but I think I'd still love to give it a go as a business. This video is brilliant. 👏👏
Hey Becca! Thanks so much for this video. You’re hands down the reason I started handlettering. I started my business in late 2019 (I had no clue what I was doing! Uh, still don’t if I’m honest) and 2020 threw fear and doubt all over and it paralyzed me. I have separate finances, spent a lot of money on supplies and do lots of gifts for people trying to figure out my niche (I love allll the things!). Annnd my son says “come on, mom, you have to start making money and not give things away.” Smart kid. I’ve come to realize the fear of doing something wrong is holding me back in the business end of it because I don’t fully understand it all and it just me myself and I. This helped shrink my fear and encouraged me to find an accountant who will help me learn. 🙏
This was so great, Becca! I think that #1 is sort of what has been keeping me from moving forward. Seeing you talk about it, has helped me process some of my thoughts and feelings about my business. And of course, #2 and #3 are great too. Thanks for sharing all you do! :O)
Thank you, this was helpful! I have had my blog/business for over a year and have not made any money off it yet really so that's why I haven't even started registering as a business or any of that.
I think everything you said was spot on. I have been in business for several years. Taking myself and thus my business to social media is my scary place. I now have a website but it is hard to make it look like me. You are an inspiration and I am grateful that you do what you do. Thank You!
great stuff as usual Becca, and this was thoughtful, things we do know but really really hadn't/don't give a proper consideration to, regards, keep safe. thank you
This was a great "getting started" video. I am so terrified of filing paperwork to start my business! I tried to start a partnership a few years back and it went south so fast, did not like where it was going, tax man was after me for thousands and my partner never paid their fair share. That mortified me and has been a real hinderance to my want to start a new business on my own. Definitely getting an accountant and laywer this time around! Hearing inspirational people like you on RUclips is really helpful in lighting the fire under me again :) Thank you!
Hi Becca! This was great information. Thank you for always being real with us. Also, you are an amazing teacher, something not all can do. Thanks again!
Thanks. This helps so much. I’m thinking of starting a small craft-based business in the side of my full time gig and I’m still in the early planning out phase. More please
I am just starting an art business and am realising, but kind of through a fog, that it's less fun that way. It becomes an obligation. So, I'm actually very grateful for your advice and articulation of the - let's face it- sad truth.
Great advice as usual! This video has possibly persuaded me to move in a different direction for a business and keep calligraphy as a hobby or incorporate a little bit into projects. I love your honesty and everything about how you teach, your tutorials, your emails... you do it all right!
Ok so I’m definitely straddling all of these points! I’m kind of half-assing the “business” thing because I love lettering/signage so much and want to share it with people and also really want to do this for people and business. I have social media “business” accounts to share my work, and welcome occasional orders, but no website or registered business - but I’m a mum of 2 young children and work part time around school hours, so I’m DEFINITELY holding back turning this into a more serious job, for all these reasons and your reasons! Som days I’m too exhausted from the kids and work, so I’m like “nah, not tonight”. I couldn’t do that if I had a board to create!
But I also feel like I need more from what I’m doing and the only way to do that is to push myself and go for it! You can’t get that without the responsibility and time commitment!
Love your videos! Appreciated this one. I have watched some many of your videos, want to start, get overwhelmed and stop. Need tonget over the idea of "failing" or it not looking right. Thanks for your continued inspiration. 🦄💗
1.You no longer have a hobby! Giiiirrrrllll! thank you for saying that 😭😭😭 2.Running a creative business is a lot more business than creating 😭😭😭. I'm definitely struggling with this one currently. It's beginning to make sense intellectually but my heart and soul are struggling 🙈 3.Definitely needed the encouragement about finances and taxes not being that bad 🙈. I'm in that stage right now of trying to learn more and it can feel scary most times. Thanks for such a great video Becca!
Thank you for these tips. I'm terrified of burnout and marketing. Those are my greatest fears they're what's holding me back from starting my business.
This was very helpful! I’m really just at the point of thinking about the possibility of a business, would love to see more of these! The third thing made me laugh: about 4 months ago I put some stuff on Red Bubble (a POD service). I was surprised to sell a couple of things, and then their sale notification freaked me out - I’d be responsible for the sales tax. I was afraid the IRS would take me away in handcuffs for the $1.25 tax I owed 😳😭. Thank you for quelling my fears of both registering and hard jail time 👍🏻
I’m new to your channel and for the past few days I’ve been binge watching you! This video was so helpful. What you listed as the scary parts are the reasons I haven’t taken the leap to start a business. I personally feel like I’m running around in circles with my hobbies and business ideas that I don’t know how to mesh them together. Bookkeeping, photography, and calligraphy, where do I begin?
Hi Becca! I started watching your calligraphy business videos - super duper helpful and I love how you make the information so easily digestible! One question I have about registering your business is, how do you determine if you want to register your business or just keep it as a side thing you do without the registration?
Not at that stage yet, but thinking ahead to the possibility. Good to be reminded of these points, e specially the part about "losing" your hobby. I get that. Sigh. It's one of the things that keeps me getting up in the morning. But I guess the income that replaces "hobby" could do the trick, as well. There must be SOME artwork you do, just for yourself? Something you can point to at the end of the day and say "that is the result of an accumulation of influences, and is part of me, and will endure long after I'm gone". Or something like that. :-)
Hey Becca! Thank you for these amazing tips!! I really appreciate! I have few questions. If I wanted to print out my calligraphy for a framed quote on the wall as my business, where should I get them printed and how do I ship them? If you have any good ideas, could you please kindly tell me? Thank you!!
I love this video thank You. Q...did you set up all your social media and RUclips channel simultaneously, did you add a lot of content at the beginning or as you went along on RUclips?
I really appreciate your honesty, Becca! Really needed to hear these, especially the first! You are inspirational! Becca, I emailed you on Monday with an institutional request--please can you check? Longing to hear back! :)
I worked with my mom as a professional seamstress. Later in life I started my own business so support myself and children after divorce. I loved sewing and designing things, as a business it suddenly became non creative, clients didn't appreciate my skills, and the creativity I loved no longer existed. To this day I love the creativity of my sewing but I have a hard time motivating myself to do it. I do many different crafts and again want to start a business with my crafts, but am fearful for exactly this reason. I don't want to lose the fun
I would prefer to have a business partner so that I could do the creating and they can run the business. I also need an assistant who will come in and grab my artwork from me and run the second it looks complete to them, because I WILL end up overworking it to death! LOL!
My advice is to NOT sign up for amazon associates until you are getting a lot of traffic to website because they will kick you and not let you return....oops. Everyone says sign up for amazon associates yeah do it... but nobody says wait until you get enough traffic to get sales to qualify haha.
I think I have been subconsciously aware of #1, which is why I keep saying no to all the people who tell me I should open a bakery. Because I like to bake (and it makes me happy when people enjoy my food), but I don't want to have to bake.
Yeah, that's the thing I've recently become conscious too. Whenever we see someone doing great in a hobby we recommend them to earn money from it... which means we are telling them to quit their hobby and start a new business. Before this video, I couldn't find good words to say why someone wouldn't want to earn money from something they're doing great as a hobby.
I love your RUclips videos and to be honest I started to handletter because of you .
You give THEE BEST advice and tutorials! This video is speaking to my SOUL!! Lol So real and so honest!
Thank you, THANK YOU for everything that you’ve contributed to the calligraphy and lettering community! You really have a special gift! You’re AMAZING!
You are the best calligraphy teacher & i want to be honest that i just started calligraphy😇
So lovely to not feel alone in the points you made, I started photography at 17 it was 100% a hobby now I'm paid and doing well but it's definitely caused burnout. I also totally felt the same when you said people asked you what your hobby was and your drew a blank. I feel that way because its merged. Thank you for sharing this.
I'm a new dog trainer and am finding all 3 of these things are happening. I'm so anxious about the finances (QB is terrifying!), I went down a rabbit hole and found calligraphy! So thank you for the distraction. In my free time I hope to foster and train so I hope you can still do your beautiful art just for yourself in your free time. Thank you for putting this out.
What you said about turning a hobby into business really hit home. I am finding myself resenting going in there and crafting now that I am turning it into a business.
I think a business mini series would be awesome!!!! You make it look soooo easy :)))
I plan on making my calligraphy a business and would love to see more videos like this! No one better to get advice from.
I am just getting done with Registering my Business in Texas! I avoided this for a looooooong time as well and am finally jumping into the waters of making it a small business! Thank you for this encouragement! I am waiting for my LLC to be completed before I make my business bank account! But, I find all your tips for calligraphy/ small business/ beginners so so so helpful! My story is very similar to yours! And I'm ready to follow in your footsteps in making my hobby a business!
Okay first of all at this point I've stopped even watching the whole video before I like because the content here is absolutely amazing! Secondly these are such great points I feel we all somewhere know this but realising it is completely different. So thank you Becca for this!
Hello becca,
Big fan of yours... love the way u teach and gives us the insight of the story...
Thanks again Becca for the honesty, job or hobby thoughts 👍🏻
I love how you give raw and honest advice💖
Very helpful information! I'm considering starting a side business with calligraphy and would love to have you do more videos on business. It's always nice to have some advice from someone who's got experience!
Thanks for the tips! I'm starting a business myself at age 18 and I appreciate any advice!!
Thank you, Becca, for sharing this information. I appreciate your honesty in laying it out there about your fears, and cautioning us how a hobby will no longer be a hobby once it's a business. It's something I am wrestling with right now, as I contemplate whether or not to invest the time and energy required into starting a creative business, thereby losing that hobby as a therapeutic outlet for creativity. So thank you for posting this, as it was timely and has given me more food for thought. Also, like many others, your videos inspired and encouraged me to try learning calligraphy in the first place, so thank you for that! You are the best!
I have been dealing with these fears for a year and a half. Oh my gosh I am so grateful for this information/video!!! You just made me feel so much better and I thank you thank you thank you!
Thanks for the genuine advice. I am worried about the loss of hobby thing but am excited for a new adventure in business.
Thank you for your candor & openness to share your experience! Very helpful & areas I have thought about...
So true! 12 years ago I got into makeup, started doing makeup on myself, and started taking classes. I would sit at 10pm on a Sunday night in my pjs, to do makeup on myself, just for the fun of it. Then I started getting clients for makeup and it became an extra income. In 2016 I started doing makeup full time and it's my only income right now. Makeup stopped being as much fun, I do LOVE doing makeup on other people, but on mysefl? Not doing it for fun anymore. There was a point in which I was teaching classes daily, and HAD to wear makeup everyday. HAVING to do it took the fun away. Last time I wore makeup was 5 months ago.
Reminds me of when I was teaching. Creativity can get lost in the admin and management side of things. I love the honesty of this video. Thank you. 🙌🙌 I've been asked to do things for friends and it definitely stressed me out + took some of the love out of calligraphy but I think I'd still love to give it a go as a business. This video is brilliant. 👏👏
Really insightful for anyone starting a business. Well done! 💫
This was super helpful and I’d love more stuff like this! Just starting out over here. Thank you for always being willing to share your tips!
Hey Becca! Thanks so much for this video. You’re hands down the reason I started handlettering. I started my business in late 2019 (I had no clue what I was doing! Uh, still don’t if I’m honest) and 2020 threw fear and doubt all over and it paralyzed me. I have separate finances, spent a lot of money on supplies and do lots of gifts for people trying to figure out my niche (I love allll the things!). Annnd my son says “come on, mom, you have to start making money and not give things away.” Smart kid. I’ve come to realize the fear of doing something wrong is holding me back in the business end of it because I don’t fully understand it all and it just me myself and I. This helped shrink my fear and encouraged me to find an accountant who will help me learn. 🙏
This was so great, Becca! I think that #1 is sort of what has been keeping me from moving forward. Seeing you talk about it, has helped me process some of my thoughts and feelings about my business. And of course, #2 and #3 are great too. Thanks for sharing all you do! :O)
Thank you, this was helpful! I have had my blog/business for over a year and have not made any money off it yet really so that's why I haven't even started registering as a business or any of that.
Thank you for the information! Those 3 things are super helpful!
I think everything you said was spot on. I have been in business for several years. Taking myself and thus my business to social media is my scary place. I now have a website but it is hard to make it look like me. You are an inspiration and I am grateful that you do what you do. Thank You!
great stuff as usual Becca, and this was thoughtful, things we do know but really really hadn't/don't give a proper consideration to, regards, keep safe. thank you
This was a great "getting started" video. I am so terrified of filing paperwork to start my business! I tried to start a partnership a few years back and it went south so fast, did not like where it was going, tax man was after me for thousands and my partner never paid their fair share. That mortified me and has been a real hinderance to my want to start a new business on my own. Definitely getting an accountant and laywer this time around! Hearing inspirational people like you on RUclips is really helpful in lighting the fire under me again :) Thank you!
Hi Becca! This was great information. Thank you for always being real with us. Also, you are an amazing teacher, something not all can do. Thanks again!
Thanks. This helps so much. I’m thinking of starting a small craft-based business in the side of my full time gig and I’m still in the early planning out phase. More please
Soooooooo true!!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 "omg managing social media" yes yes yes! I love what I do but definitely more work than create time 🤪
Thank you so much for sharing, this advice is very helpful.
I am just starting an art business and am realising, but kind of through a fog, that it's less fun that way. It becomes an obligation. So, I'm actually very grateful for your advice and articulation of the - let's face it- sad truth.
Great advice as usual! This video has possibly persuaded me to move in a different direction for a business and keep calligraphy as a hobby or incorporate a little bit into projects. I love your honesty and everything about how you teach, your tutorials, your emails... you do it all right!
Great advice. Very helpful. Thank you so much!
Thank you! Love your videos! I'm still having fun with it because it is still a fun hobby! I already have three businesses!!! LOL!!!
Really helpful video! I really enjoy it! Thanks for sharing!
Ok so I’m definitely straddling all of these points! I’m kind of half-assing the “business” thing because I love lettering/signage so much and want to share it with people and also really want to do this for people and business. I have social media “business” accounts to share my work, and welcome occasional orders, but no website or registered business - but I’m a mum of 2 young children and work part time around school hours, so I’m DEFINITELY holding back turning this into a more serious job, for all these reasons and your reasons! Som days I’m too exhausted from the kids and work, so I’m like “nah, not tonight”. I couldn’t do that if I had a board to create!
But I also feel like I need more from what I’m doing and the only way to do that is to push myself and go for it! You can’t get that without the responsibility and time commitment!
Love your videos! Appreciated this one. I have watched some many of your videos, want to start, get overwhelmed and stop. Need tonget over the idea of "failing" or it not looking right. Thanks for your continued inspiration. 🦄💗
It's fearful, thanks for the heads up and to know we're not alone.
1.You no longer have a hobby! Giiiirrrrllll! thank you for saying that 😭😭😭
2.Running a creative business is a lot more business than creating 😭😭😭. I'm definitely struggling with this one currently. It's beginning to make sense intellectually but my heart and soul are struggling 🙈
3.Definitely needed the encouragement about finances and taxes not being that bad 🙈. I'm in that stage right now of trying to learn more and it can feel scary most times.
Thanks for such a great video Becca!
Can I just say that you look so beautiful!
And also your videos are great! Now I write calligraphy in a very good way, thanks to you!
Thank you for these tips. I'm terrified of burnout and marketing. Those are my greatest fears they're what's holding me back from starting my business.
This was very helpful! I’m really just at the point of thinking about the possibility of a business, would love to see more of these!
The third thing made me laugh: about 4 months ago I put some stuff on Red Bubble (a POD service). I was surprised to sell a couple of things, and then their sale notification freaked me out - I’d be responsible for the sales tax. I was afraid the IRS would take me away in handcuffs for the $1.25 tax I owed 😳😭. Thank you for quelling my fears of both registering and hard jail time 👍🏻
So helpful! Thank you!
Ooh new vid! They're always so helpful :)
Really great, solid advice!
Such great advice!
Great advices..thank you for the heads-up..
I’m new to your channel and for the past few days I’ve been binge watching you! This video was so helpful. What you listed as the scary parts are the reasons I haven’t taken the leap to start a business. I personally feel like I’m running around in circles with my hobbies and business ideas that I don’t know how to mesh them together. Bookkeeping, photography, and calligraphy, where do I begin?
Good tips Becca
Good business ideas. Thanks.
Hi Becca! I started watching your calligraphy business videos - super duper helpful and I love how you make the information so easily digestible! One question I have about registering your business is, how do you determine if you want to register your business or just keep it as a side thing you do without the registration?
Thank you for this!
Not at that stage yet, but thinking ahead to the possibility. Good to be reminded of these points, e specially the part about "losing" your hobby. I get that. Sigh. It's one of the things that keeps me getting up in the morning. But I guess the income that replaces "hobby" could do the trick, as well. There must be SOME artwork you do, just for yourself? Something you can point to at the end of the day and say "that is the result of an accumulation of influences, and is part of me, and will endure long after I'm gone". Or something like that. :-)
Hey Becca!
Thank you for these amazing tips!! I really appreciate!
I have few questions. If I wanted to print out my calligraphy for a framed quote on the wall as my business, where should I get them printed and how do I ship them?
If you have any good ideas, could you please kindly tell me? Thank you!!
Fantastic!
I love this video thank You.
Q...did you set up all your social media and RUclips channel simultaneously, did you add a lot of content at the beginning or as you went along on RUclips?
Hi.... I think I'll start doing calligraphy
For my work, I learn that I have to keep out a portion from each sale for sales tax. I don't know how that works for a craft business.
I really appreciate your honesty, Becca! Really needed to hear these, especially the first! You are inspirational! Becca, I emailed you on Monday with an institutional request--please can you check? Longing to hear back! :)
how may we help Lady Becca? Thanks for the advice
💜💜💜
I worked with my mom as a professional seamstress. Later in life I started my own business so support myself and children after divorce. I loved sewing and designing things, as a business it suddenly became non creative, clients didn't appreciate my skills, and the creativity I loved no longer existed.
To this day I love the creativity of my sewing but I have a hard time motivating myself to do it. I do many different crafts and again want to start a business with my crafts, but am fearful for exactly this reason. I don't want to lose the fun
I started handlattering when I saw your first video
How may we help you??? 🥺
I am legtimately so scared of getting fined by the IRS or something if I get paid but don't register as a business 😂
Cool tips, what's your hobby now?
Hi
I would prefer to have a business partner so that I could do the creating and they can run the business.
I also need an assistant who will come in and grab my artwork from me and run the second it looks complete to them, because I WILL end up overworking it to death! LOL!
🦋❤🦋
My advice is to NOT sign up for amazon associates until you are getting a lot of traffic to website because they will kick you and not let you return....oops. Everyone says sign up for amazon associates yeah do it... but nobody says wait until you get enough traffic to get sales to qualify haha.
Hello mam
So useful! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you for this!