Meet Rebekah Nguyen of Rebel Ink Calligraphy & Design in Richardson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebekah Nguyen.

Rebekah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up I was always making things with my hands and being creative, but as I got older, I definitely stopped using that part of my brain. I’m not sure if it’s because at some point in adulthood you just stop trying new things or get stuck in the daily grind, but creativity was no longer really a part of my life. When I finally joined Instagram (I’m an extremely late adopter  ), I somehow found some lettering/calligraphy accounts and couldn’t believe there was a whole industry and community out there of letterers, calligraphers, creators! All of their work was so beautiful and I couldn’t stop thinking about learning how to do it!

In 2015, I signed up for a brush lettering class from a local calligrapher in Dallas, Heather from Design Roots, and fell in love with it. After that, I started teaching myself by watching videos from other artists and taking online courses. It took a lot of patience and practice to get to where I am now; not only to hone my craft but also develop my own style. When you’re first starting out you learn by mimicking others’ work that you like but developing your own style really takes time. Today, I really feel like I’m finally getting a sense of where I want my business to go and that I don’t have to pigeon hole myself because I feel the need to fit into a certain area of the industry. At the end of the day, I’m just a creator of pretty things.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In any business or new endeavor, there will be always be struggles. Mine is probably time – I wish I had all the time I needed to create and build my business while juggling the rest of life and responsibilities, but that’s just not the case. What usually ends up suffering is my business since it’s not my main source of income. Unfortunately, that’s where I am now, but I hope to get to a place where I’m able to dedicate enough time to build my business to where I’m content with how much work I have coming in.

Owning a creative business can also stretch you mentally. Sharing your work is like sharing a part of yourself, which as an introvert isn’t always easy to do. I was just thinking this today as I was about to share a post on Instagram. When you put your work out there, you’re really letting the world judge what you just made, and in turn, who you are, and your talent. It’s definitely challenging and scary sometimes, but it’s totally worth it when people fall in love with your work.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rebel Ink Calligraphy & Design – what should we know?
I’m a calligrapher and letterer but what really gets me excited is invitation design and installations. I just really love making anything and everything that inspires me. Envisioning something and making it come to life is one of the most satisfying feelings as a creative even if there may be many adjustments you have to make along the way.

Something that sets me apart from others in my industry is that I really consider myself to be a jack of all trades. I love figuring out to make something happen even if I don’t know how I’m going to make it happen right off the bat and working with all different media and mediums. I’m also so passionate about my clients. I want every single person who works from me to get exactly what they’re looking for and for us to be able to collaborate together to get that point.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My biggest fans are my family – they have always encouraged and really given me the self-confidence that this is something I have talent for. My other biggest supporter is one of my closest friends who was there when I first wanted to start this business and pushed me to make it happen. He was the one I always leaned on when I was questioning my abilities, needed advice, or doubted my desire to keep building my business. One of my most recent clients has been not only one of my favorite clients, but such a huge advocate for me, and I’m so grateful I get to produce work for her wedding. It’s people like her that really keep me motivated.

I’m also just so grateful for fellow artists in the stationery/calligraphy industry who promote community over competition and share information, tips and teach others without expecting anything in return. These people are really the ones inspiring others and growing awareness of our work and industry.

Contact Info:

• Email: rebelinkcalligraphy@gmail.com

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