For Camani Gonzalez Vega, who obtained two bachelor’s degrees in biology and industrial microbiology in her native Puerto Rico, owning a calligraphy business was not in her career plans; her daughter’s first birthday party, however, made her rethink her path.

“It all started with a chalkboard,” Gonzalez Vega told Los Cafetales, noting that while she wanted to have a decorative chalkboard made to celebrate her daughter’s birthday, by the time she got to ordering a completed board, it was too late, as the party’s date was drawing near.

“So, I was like, you know what, I can do that – I’ll just use my handwriting, and it’ll be okay,” she said. “I did it, and after that, I was like, I think I can do this – I actually can have a hobby out of this.”

At the time, she felt so proud of her first completed chalkboard, but looking back now, she thinks “it was so ugly,” she said with a laugh.

Gonzalez Vega said that from starting calligraphy on a chalkboard, she then moved on to working on brush lettering and pointed pen designs.

After doing calligraphy as a hobby for the next four years – following her daughter’s first birthday – she decided to launch her calligraphy business, Chalky Hands by Cami, two years ago.

Even though she had secured the domain and had her website up, she postponed officially launching the business for about 10 months, she added.

“I was supposed to start January 2019, but I was so scared [and thought,] ‘this is not going to go anywhere,’” she said.

Finally, however, she decided to “just do it – whatever it takes,” and officially launched her business in October 2019.

Explaining her hesitation, she said of her business: “[I]t’s your baby and you want to do the best with it — you have to learn so much” and do the work on your own.

Two years into being a business owner, Gonzalez Vega said that the best part about that is being able “to set your own boundaries,” including by setting a work schedule. However, she noted that even that was tough to do at the beginning, as she was tempted to answer customer calls late at night, or respond to emails during meal times.

Gonzalez Vega also shared that the most challenging aspect of owning a business involves marketing and “putting myself out there.”

While it is easy to think that customers will flood one’s pages on such websites as Etsy, Pinterest, and Instagram, that is not always the case, she said. Business owners must take additional steps, including investing in advertisements and promos, as well as connecting with other individuals and brands, in order to get their brands noticed.

As for being an artist, Gonzalez Vega said that challenges with that include dealing with artist block and having to inform people about pricing regarding one’s creations. She added, “You have to know what is your worth.”

The best part about being an artist, she said, is getting to push your limits.

“I didn’t know I was artsy – I never took a calligraphy class [and] I never took an art class,” she said, adding that her involvement in the arts as a kid was limited to only dance and band activities in high school.

She noted that another positive aspect about the lettering, calligraphy, and watercolor communities online is that artists are able to build relationships and offer support to one another.

Social media is a great tool for artists, as it allows them to connect with others around the world, she said, adding that it also helps with the business aspect since “you have everything in your hands” and “can sell your products” from a cell phone.

On the best advice that she may offer individuals interested in calligraphy, Gonzalez Vega said that one must “just start. It took me so long to pass from chalkboard to brush lettering and to pointed pen, and it’s the fear to start something new, because even though” those art forms are related, they also differ.

Referencing her favorite quote, she added, “Practice makes progress.” She noted that while some may get intimidated with calligraphy tools, which can be expensive, individuals may start practicing with just a pencil.

The most important thing for individuals to do is to practice with intention and purpose, she said, adding: “[T]his is something that I mention to my students – you can practice for three hours and you can practice for 20 minutes, but if you spend three hours just making strokes over and over, and you … don’t know what you’re doing wrong and which strokes you need more practice in, then you didn’t practice with purpose.”

However, she said, if one practices for 20 minutes and can identify which areas require more practice, then “you’re practicing with purpose.”

As noted on her website, Gonzalez Vega offers such modern calligraphy services as workshops, chalkboard lettering, and wedding signage, as well as such items as acrylic disc ornaments, floral drawing guides, and vinyl stickers through her Etsy shop.

Gonzalez Vega can be found on Instagram at @chalkyhandsbycami

Images courtesy of Camani Gonzalez Vega

Editor’s note, July 2023: Gonzalez can now be found on Instagram @camigonzalezcalligraphy, and her website can now be found at Cami Gonzalez Calligraphy Studio.