Hooked on Hand Lettering
Hooked on Hand Lettering
HK on the DL | Episode #3
Hand lettering has been part of my life for as long as I can remember — long before I even knew it had a name. As a kid, I was that little bubble-lettering machine, doodling chunky letters on every notebook, birthday card, margins of homework, and probably a few places I shouldn’t admit to. It didn’t take long before teachers and classmates caught on: whenever a school project needed “the nice handwriting,” guess who got nominated? Yup. Me. The designated letterer. The human printer. A title I carried proudly.
Some people unwind with yoga. Some with a glass of wine. I… pick up a pencil. Hand lettering is my therapy — the quiet kind that settles your brain after a day of work deadlines, parenting chaos, and the never-ending list of things that just need to get done. I’d sneak into my studio at night with a pencil and a fresh sheet of paper and letter little inspirational notes for my kids’ lunch boxes. (More on that sweet little tradition in a future post.) There’s something so grounding about the simple pencil-on-paper sensation — that soft scratch, the pressure shift, the loops forming exactly how you imagined… or completely differently, but charming anyway.
Even my work notes aren’t safe. They all start with a doodle, fancy letter shapes, and a decorative border — before I know it, a to-do list becomes a mini piece of art. I can’t help it. Letterforms just have a mind of their own. Why shouldn’t the boring parts of life get a little flair?
Over the years, my hand lettering bookshelf has grown to an embarrassing-but-proud collection. Books on brush lettering, vintage type, sign painting, modern calligraphy — you name it, I’ve studied it. And they’ve inspired some of my favorite little projects. I hand lettered my daughter’s 6th birthday invitations on a spring break road trip to Disney World. I once designed a logo-turned-gift-tag for my son so he could dress up his homemade 3 Musketeers bars for Christmas (which, by the way, were a HUGE hit).
And then there’s the big stuff. The kind of projects that make my artist heart the happiest:
• Large-scale restaurant chalkboards
• Hand-painted business signage
• Murals for companies who want a splash of personality
These jobs always rank high on my favorites list because they’re so tactile, so immersive, so “hands on” in the best possible way. There’s magic in watching letters stretch, curve, shrink, or dance across a wall.
One of the best parts of this whole love affair with lettering? Passing it on. I taught my daughter how to make bubble letters when she was four, and she’s already getting really good. My son has inherited the vibe too — his sketchbooks are full of graffiti-style strokes and lettering that looks like it was lifted straight from Diagon Alley. Nothing makes me happier than watching them create, explore, and put their own twist on something that has shaped so much of my world.
Hand lettering isn’t just a skill for me; it’s a lifelong companion. A creative outlet. A quiet escape. A way to bring joy, personality, and charm into everyday moments — one loop, line, and doodle at a time.
