Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy DuBois.
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thanks for inviting me to share my business journey! Well, I’ve had the artistic bug for as long as I can remember. Drawing, painting, lettering, doodling – you name it! In 2010, I decided to take a formal calligraphy class shortly after I made the move from the Northeast to Dallas. I was instantly intrigued by the art form. I started off by lettering and painting on gift items and signs. And once I discovered all of the ways I could apply my services in the event industry, my business took off. Amy Sue Designs launched in 2017. My business focuses on calligraphy art services, catering to the event industry. So, that mostly includes creating place cards, envelope addressing, wedding signage, stuff like that. I primarily work with local Dallas event planners, luxury stationery designers, and brides. And more recently, I have launched on-site personalization, which has opened up a whole new world for me. Since I mostly work from my home studio, having the opportunity to create in front of people and see their reaction is an incredible feeling. I have personalized gift items on-site at Nordstrom, for luxury retailers, and for private events. I’ve written, engraved, and painted on everything from fragrance bottles to champagne bottles to jewelry boxes. Calligraphy offers endless possibilities for customization and creativity, and I feel so lucky to get to do it every day!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always challenges of running your own business – pros and cons for sure! But the pros outweigh the cons every day. I would say at the beginning; it was the hardest from a personal standpoint because I juggled a full-time job AND being a new mother while trying to start a business. But shortly after my boys were both born, I left the corporate world. And that has allowed me to focus exactly on what I want to do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
So, I think what sets me apart from others in my line of work is that I always try to find a way to incorporate creativity and art into my work. Of course, if a client just wants white place cards with black ink written in modern calligraphy, I am going to give them exactly that! But I always welcome a challenge, and with my background in art, I have the ability to paint or add pretty much any design if that is asked of me. For example, one of the event planners I’ve been working with for many years had asked me to find a way to digitize my calligraphy into names and stick them to satin ribbon as place cards. And for a dinner party, artfully apply faux flowers to handwritten gold acrylic dinner menus. And for another event, I painted spring flowers onto an acrylic buffet menu sign for a birthday luncheon. I have even painted pet and family member portraits onto bar signs. I feel grateful whenever I have the opportunity to infuse my love of art into my hand-lettered work. And it just makes the finished product that much more special.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Oh, how I love my Kindle! I read every night before bed to wind down. There have been some books here and there that have helped me business-wise. But what has made the biggest impact as far as resources go has been listening to podcasts and gaining knowledge from the powerful creative tool that is Instagram! It gives me my daily creative inspiration. My feed mostly consists of event planners, stationery designers, and fellow calligraphers from around the world. There is so much talent and eye candy on Instagram. My favorite podcast for biz inspiration, although not new, is “The Luxury Creative” by Australian calligrapher Jo from Calligraphy En Vogue. I love any resource that gives positive advice to keep pushing me forward and new ideas that I have never heard of before.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amysuedesigns.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/amysuedesigns
