Meet Kjirsten Beltz | Digital Artist and Calligrapher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kjirsten Beltz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kjirsten, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This question has haunted me since I first began entertaining the idea of starting my own small design business. I’ve spent years exploring various creative paths I thought I would be interested in, just to realize I didn’t like certain aspects of those paths. With every failed attempt to find my niche, I learned more about what I didn’t like and what I wasn’t good at, but also learned where my greatest passions lie. I started pursing a side business in hand drawn calligraphy in 2018 because of my love for lettering, but it has since evolved into a more robust digital design business, as I’ve adapted my work onto my iPad. I have slowly gained a small social media following where I’m lucky enough to receive a steady flow of small side jobs. Like any job, the work ebbs and flows from season to season, but the one constant that keeps me from giving up is the giddiness I feel when I’m approached about a new design request. I’ve had multiple requests that were outside my comfort zone, but I said yes anyway and vowed to figure it out as I went. It’s in those moments, when I’m designing something completely new and custom for a client, that I really come alive as a designer. Each time I say yes to something outside my comfort zone, I grow as an artist and continue to keep that flame alive. I think I will always find myself questioning whether to throw in the towel, especially during slower seasons, but as long as that fire inside me stays alive each time I design something new, I know it’s still my time to persevere.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My artwork is a combination of calligraphy, graphic design and digital watercolor. I started my small business as a wedding calligrapher, using ink and a fountain pen on physical paper, but it has since evolved into digital lettering and artwork, deigned on my iPad. I design custom watercolor artwork created for print and I think what sets me apart from others is that I don’t offer just one obvious design service. I’m draw and create different pieces of art which can appeal to many different clients. I create cocktail art to be hung as artwork in a home, or used as a custom bar sign at a wedding. I also create invitations from scratch using artwork I hand draw, which makes them completely unique to each client. I am most proud of a recent project I created for a bride this past winter, where I hand drew a destination wedding map and itinerary schedule for a Sedona wedding. It wasn’t even a project I had entertained until I was approached about the idea. I have never been so excited or satisfied with the end result, and I hope to continue receiving more unique requests like that.

After nearly 10 years of pursuing different creative paths, I think I have finally arrived as an artist. I still have so much to learn, and a long way to go before I can consider myself a success, but I think it’s my constant drive to find happiness in a career that has gotten me to this point. It has absolutely not been easy getting to this point, and I’m still trying to navigate the professional waters as an artist. Social media is a great tool for getting my work in front of people, but cracking the algorithm code is still proving to be a challenge. I can’t say I’ve overcome the challenge, but I keep putting my work out there because I enjoy doing it, and I’m proud of it.

Starting out, I didn’t have much of a business mindset, as I’m more of a creative than a business person, so I learned quickly that I needed to establish some basic foundations of running a small business.

The biggest thing I want the world to know about my business, is that every piece of artwork I design truly comes from the heart. I scrutinize my work like no other, and I want others to know just how much love goes into the detail and custom designs I create. Every client of mine receives a genuine, personal experience from the very first communication or conversation with me.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family will always be my biggest supporter in pursuing my creative passions. To my parents, for always encouraging me after every success and failure, and my husband Nick, who is my greatest champion in finding career happiness. I also owe so much to my two young girls, Baylor and Bennett, who will forever be my motivators for pursing my dreams.

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Website: etsy.com/shop/kjdesigncalligraphy/

Instagram: kjdesigncalligraphy