Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Bricker.
Jamie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As long as I can remember, I have always loved doodling. Growing up, my notebooks, church bulletins, school books – everything – were covered in little pictures and words. Drawing words was almost like a calming mechanism for me. I never really pursued it until after I had my first daughter and found myself as a stay at home mom with no hobbies. I knew I wanted something for me – leaving a full time job in advertising/marketing was so worth it to be with my daughter but it was hard not having any creative outlet.
I decided to take a calligraphy class hosted by a mutual friend to see if I was any good at dipped pen calligraphy. I learned the general guidelines of calligraphy but really struggled with the whole ink and calligraphy nib concept. I practiced for a couple of weeks and honestly got frustrated with the whole process. I pulled out my trusty Sharpie and just started utilizing the calligraphy concepts but with a pen. I had no idea the whole hand lettering world even existed but after doing some research, I knew this was a skill I wanted to perfect. I bought all my supplies and just practiced, practiced, practiced. I made little signs for my friends and family, who encouraged me to start a side business and sell them to the public. That’s how JB Script was born. It’s grown from paper, to canvases, to handmade wood signs. I love writing on anything and everything I can find! I have a TON of ideas to expand the business into other areas but with two small children and one on the way, it’s really tough to find time to commit to it, since everything I do is 100% handmade. It’s been a whirlwind but I’ve loved every second of it!
Great, 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?
Anything related to small business is never a smooth road, in my opinion. You have tough times, which you learn from and you grow. When I first started, it was really hard putting myself out there. Since everything I make is done by hand, my heart goes into it as well. If someone didn’t like what I made, I would take it very personally and want to just quit. It took me a while to be confident in my work. I would WAY underprice everything I did, thinking people didn’t want to spend any sort of significant amount on my work. It took time and experience to build confidence, but I do feel like it’s made me a better artist. I also learned it’s okay to say no to projects! I would lots of times take on too much, which made it hard to spend time with my family. I stopped enjoying the projects when it got to that point. I’ve learned how to maintain a balance, which makes the jobs that I do take on so much more fun!
JB Script – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
JB Script is a hand lettering business, specializing in wood signs, canvas art and custom pieces. Everything created is done by hand – nothing digitally made or mass produced. I’m really proud of that, because it shows how much heart goes into my work.
I’m most proud of my wood signs! My father actually builds the signs for me and I paint and hand letter them. I love that my dad gets to be a part of my business and I love the way the signs turn out. I do a ton of signs for new babies and weddings, so it gives me great pride to be a small part of someone’s big life event.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I would say getting my work published in the Pier One catalog. It was surreal that something I do for fun actually made it to peoples’ mailboxes! But in all honesty, I’m so proud of every piece I produce. I love seeing people’s reactions to my work, because I know they love the piece as much as I did. It’s very rewarding!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jbscript.com
- Phone: 214-641-6641
- Email: jamiebrickerscript@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jbscript
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jbscript1
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/jbscript
Image Credit:
Pier One Imports
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