Embracing the Unknown: Doing Things Before You Feel Ready

I mean, what a ride y’all. I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now, but had opted to leave it to my Instagram captions to connect with you and tell you about my story. But things are moving - and I find myself wanting a space for a longer form of connection; somewhere I can really share my experiences more deeply. Instagram and social media can be so flighty and performative. Here, there’s a sense of ownership, a little more freedom to be vulnerable and give an inside scoop to business, calligraphy, and the life of a creative.

So here we are! The Tally Mark Blog is born to share updates, tips, feelings, experiences, advice, and whatever else develops in my business. It’s exciting to take a next tangible step in my business journey, albeit a small one, but a step nonetheless. I’ve officially been a full time business owner and calligrapher for 4 months and am continually validated that I made the right choice. Not everything has been smooth sailing, but even in the unknown and uncertainty, I am encouraged that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.

I started Tally Mark Calligraphy in 2020 when I was furloughed from my job due to the pandemic. It gave me the time to explore what I wanted the business to look like and figure out what it would entail to get it up and running - aka make sure I actually like this. When I returned to my full time job, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be self-employed. Leaving a stable job is scary! How do I know I’m ready??

Spoiler alert: you’ll never be ready. When it comes to taking a big leap like starting a new career, you can never be fully ready. That’s why they call it “the big leap.” Because you’re jumping into a lot of unknowns and trusting that your hard work, persistence, and resiliency will carry you into success. You can start with the best plans, but your plans will change and evolve. I promise. Most of business is starting with something and pivoting until you figure out what works for your clients and your industry, for you and your business. Start with something that is good for right now and figure it out as you go.

The road has not been easy, there have been ups and downs, celebrations and spirals. There are a lot times I get worried about the future and if this business can support my husband and me. But every time I’m performing calligraphy at a live event or someone reaches out to me to inquire about my services or I’m able to adjust my schedule to spend more time with my friends and family I am validated that I made the right choice. I love the work I’m doing, even the boring stuff. And I feel like I’m making more meaningful connections and able to serve my community more fully using my art.

Making the decision to be a full time business owner was a hard one and there was a lot that I prepared for before actually leaving my corporate job. But it felt like the only decision to be made; was I ready to run the business? Not really. Was I ready to take the next right step toward the life I wanted to build? Absolutely.