Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Maness.
Hi Jackie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up as a child, I looked up to my Grandma who was an amazing artist and calligrapher. I would try relentlessly to be creative, whether it be through painting or lettering, always trying to be like her. I owe much of my passion for art and my love for being creative to her.
However, I didn’t really “get started” in calligraphy until much later in my life. In 2015/2016, I was starting out my career in marketing in Greenville, making just enough money to pay the bills, and wasn’t feeling fully fulfilled at all. I started searching for a hobby. I picked up knitting (and put that down very quickly), I started painting more, I started making jewelry. But nothing really stuck. And then one day, I purchased a random online calligraphy course from a random calligrapher I found. One where they sent you all the supplies you needed to get started. & that was the beginning of it all. Calligraphy was very challenging to me, which I think is why I liked it so much. I was convinced I would figure out how to do this amazing calligraphy I was seeing other calligraphers do. But I was not good at the beginning.. at all. I kept practicing and practicing and slowly started seeing progress. However, I couldn’t grasp the use of the nibs, ink, the pressure of upstrokes vs. downstrokes.. I wasn’t getting it. So, I decided to stick with calligraphy pens and markers for the time being and really tried to perfect that skill.
Fast forward to 2017, I got engaged to my now husband and really wanted to do the calligraphy for my save-the-date envelopes. So, I challenged myself, set that as my goal, and did them. Which was a huge step for me – gaining the confidence to put my calligraphy out there for the world to see when I still felt like a huge beginner. But, being surrounded by wonderful creatives in my day job, they kept pushing me to keep practicing, keep pushing, and being creative. So, that’s what I did. I started practicing more with calligraphy nibs and inks, getting better each and every day. & kept seeing progress.
I landed my first wedding calligraphy job in 2018 through a friend. Her allowing me to do her envelopes was a huge confidence booster for me and helped me gain more confidence in myself. I started making connections with local wedding planners and started getting contacted more to quote calligraphy projects for them. & every chance I could get, I would offer to calligraph things for my friends or coworkers to get more and more practice in. My friends are a huge reason for me launching Made by Maness. They pushed me to get my work out there, they shared my work to help me get more business, they used me for their wedding calligraphy, they recommended me to other friends. I continue to get the majority of my business today by referrals. Since starting Made by Maness at the end of 2018, I have had the opportunity to do many wedding calligraphy envelope projects and have grown to provide more services other than just envelopes. I provide place cards, table cards, signage design, koozie design, and spot calligraphy. Also, I recently started offering invitation design services, continuing to grow the services I provide to help my clients have a seamless experience when planning their events.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would be lying if I said it was a smooth road. I struggle every day, but when I struggle, I learn. And that’s what I’m trying to do. Learn as much as I can to be the best calligrapher and creative I can be.
Where do I start? Firstly, I’m left-handed, so it was a struggle learning calligraphy from the beginning. Working with markers and some inks, I would smudge anything I wrote almost immediately by how I held the pen. So, I had to learn how to hold pens for calligraphy differently.
I continue struggling finding the right paper, the right ink, and the right nib for each project. I’ve had many projects where the ink would immediately be absorbed by the paper, spreading out across the page and making the words illegible. & for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what to do. It has taken many, many hours of testing new inks against different paper types and learning how to thicken ink to make me feel like I kind of know what I’m doing.
Time is always a struggle. Made by Maness is currently a side hustle with hopes of moving it to a full-time job one day. So, working 8-5 at my daytime job, I have had to learn how to manage my time better to make sure this side hustle of mine continues to thrive. And there have been times when I accepted one too many projects and was spread way too thin, because I never want to turn down a project… especially at the beginning when I was trying to raise awareness. But it caused me to constantly worry that I wouldn’t be able to meet the deadlines, and I would ultimately pull all-nighters to finish up the projects that I needed to. So, as much of a struggle it was for me, I had to start saying no to projects and only accepting a certain number of projects each month.
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?
I am an experienced calligrapher and invitation designer. The majority of my experience is in the wedding industry, working with wedding planners or directly with brides to bring their invitation visions to life. I specialize in calligraphy, but I’m probably most known for specifically envelope calligraphy, the first impression people get of a person’s wedding. However, my services include: spot calligraphy, place card calligraphy, table card calligraphy, signage design, invitation design, koozie design, and print management. My goal is to one day be a one-stop shop for all the paper and design needs brides and event planners have for their events.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Traveling. Traveling makes me so happy. It helps fill my cup back up when I’m feeling run down and uninspired. It inspires me, it excites me. So much actually that my husband and I chose to sell our house and become nomads back at the end of 2021. So, we have been traveling around and living in different cities across the US. Which is great, because I can do calligraphy from anywhere that has a table and chair.
Pricing:
- $2 per outer envelope for guest addressing
- $1 per inner envelope & return addressing
- $1 per place card
- Invitation design starting at $75
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/madebymaness/
Image Credits
Black & white invitation design & calligraphy photos: Virgil Bunao
Orange & maroon koozie photo: Julia Madden Sears
