If I’m honest, it feels like June of 2024 was 2 years ago! Last year was packed with so many shifts and opportunities, many stemming from this very website. in 2024, we had 11,900 visitors, a 106% increase over 2023. Here’s a look at the top articles, videos, services, and mistakes from last year!
Most Popular Articles
This year, other websites started linking to my learning content! I went through my articles and I’ve written more than 30 over the past 10 years or so. There’s something for everyone — click below to check them out!
Most Popular YouTube Videos
The Crossroads Calligraphy YouTube Channel reached another milestone this year: 1000 subscribers! I am always so glad to know that what I share helps people with their calligraphy practice. Below are the top 3 videos on the channel:
If there’s something you’d like me to cover in a video, fill out my Contact Form and let me know!
Most Common Services in 2024
Custom Calligraphy
By far my most popular service, always! Clients ask me to draft up certificates for them, stationery, and poems. I also personalize a number of items — books, event decor, chalkboard signs, and more.
Onsite Calligraphy
I love offering this because it’s fast-paced and I get to talk with a lot of people! I offer live calligraphy, engraving, and hot foiling too!
Calligraphy Classes
Most subscribers to my newsletter are interested in tips, tutorials, and learning. I try to make my intro classes as comprehensive as possible, and students have made great progress!
What My Clients Said
I needed a copy of a rather long poem made as a gift for my daughter. I gave Renee the specifics of how I wanted the piece to appear – italic, color and type of paper, matted and framed. Renee did fantastic and beautiful work going above and beyond to make the piece come to life. It is just lovely and I couldn’t be happier with her work. Very helpful and communicated with me throughout the whole process. A pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!
— Diane Nearhoff
Renee is absolutely wonderful to work with. She made our event extra special by providing name tags with her beautiful work in advance and creating additional ones onsite. We received so many compliments and it took the event to a higher level. I cannot recommend her enough!
— Shannon Walker
A perfect gift for a thoughtful and hard-to-buy-for person! My daughter has had this quotation on her wall, printed on a yellowed and frayed piece of paper, everywhere she’s ever worked. I asked Renee to make a more artistic version to replace it. The result far exceeded my wildest expectations! It reminds us of ancient illuminated manuscripts. My daughter absolutely loves It and can hardly wait to see it on the wall in her new office.
Renee is a treasure to work with. Her design skills and artistry are augmented by a sincere desire to please, excellent communication skills and attention to schedules. She designed all of this. I merely provided the quotation. It was done as promised, when promised and at the price promised.
I can’t recommend her highly enough!
— Carl Cottrell
Most-Viewed Client Work in 2024
In 2023, many of my website visitors searched for “broad edge calligraphy”. Looks like this year, they were more interested in versal letters and gold accents! Click each image above to see more about each project! Since I discovered the demand for this type of calligraphy project, I adjusted the way I offer calligraphy to clients to make illuminated letters an option!
New Opportunities
Returning Clients
This year, many of my clients were people and companies I’ve worked with before, including Yoga Oasis, Desert Plume Calligraphy, Creed Fragrances, Jo Malone, and Dolce & Gabbana. I love building relationships with clients and catching back up with them!
Elevating My Work
I attended IAMPETH, an international calligraphy conference, for the first time. Though I learned new techniques and tested better materials, my attitude about my own work was the thing that improved the most!
Traveling to Teach
Tubac Center of the Arts invited me to teach a class in October 2024. I spent 2 days teaching Broad Edge Calligraphy for Beginners to a wonderful class!
Public Classes I Offered in 2024
I taught each of the classes below either through the Calligraphic Society of Arizona or CATALYST Creative Collective.
Intro to Broad Edge Calligraphy
Intro to Pointed Pen Calligraphy
How to Write with a Brush Pen
Calligraphy Layout & Composition
I also offered private instruction for Spencerian Script to a wonderful family of four and Copperplate instruction to a handful of private students. If you’d like to take a class this year, I suggest joining my newsletter for class announcements. I’m still putting together my schedule for the year, but in the meantime, you can click below to see all the classes I offer!
Best-Sellers on Etsy
Business Milestones
Of all things, I am most excited to share that I collaborated with Chandler J of Lethal Legal to file a trademark application for Crossroads Calligraphy. As I was working on the questionnaire, I realized how many projects I hold back on releasing because I don’t have the protection or infrastructure to support them — yet!
In addition, I upgraded my client management system, Dubsado. I added automation and made more information available to potential clients. This is a pre-cursor to hiring an assistant and is helping me put the next steps into play.
My Most Significant Learning Opportunity
2024 saw me ship more work out of state (I live in Arizona) than I ever have before, so much so that I added an address section to my Contact Form. Since most of my clients have been local, I am learning how to protectively ship my work. On one occasion, my client sent me this photo of the way the anniversary gift she commissioned for her parents arrived:
“Crushed” would be a great way to describe the tube, my ego, and my client’s hopes. She was gracious the entire time, allowing me to redo the piece and ship it to her in a triangular tube.
I will always be grateful for her kindness, and have since taken to shipping my artwork flat in a box, protected by thick. large cardboard!
Personal Milestones
For me, 2024 felt like uncomfortably shedding a cocoon. I realized that my life and my business are bigger than I have ever given them credit for. After IAMPETH, the calligraphy conference, I noticed that my doubts and desperation were absent.
Just after the conference, I also lost my Dad, to untreated emphysema and alcoholism. He was only 63, and our last times together were rocky. Though it was hard on me, I have an unexpected tenderness around it. In October, I turned 40, and both my sons were accepted to their colleges of choice. 2025 is looking spacious for me, and i don’t think I need to necessarily fill it — we’ll see what life has in store though!
Plans for 2025
Though I want to keep some of my plans under wraps for now, here are a few things that I’m finally adding or expanding this year:
- gilding work
- archival art prints
- printed greeting cards
- digital downloads
- pre-recorded self-paced classes
- 1 and 2-day in-person workshops
Thank you so much for your attention and support of my company and my work. What I love about this work is that I get to help people show the people in their lives how much they care. This is one of the greatest joys of life, to have a community to support and learn from. Wishing you all the best in 2025!
Really inspiring to see how far your calligraphy journey has come in 2024! We at Kimlligraphy also had a creative year filled with live events and personalised calligraphy projects. Wishing you more growth and inspiration in 2025!
Thank you, wishing you the same!