Meet Rachel Macleod | Calligrapher

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

Hi Rachel, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I want to start off by saying that I don’t feel like I’ve hit the point of being successful yet. There’s still a lot of big goals I’m excited to hit in the future. Although I’ll always be proud of how far I’ve come, I don’t think there will ever come a time where I’ll sit back and say I’ve made it. There’s always new goals to hit and fun accomplishments to strive for. But with that being said, I believe there are a few things that a.) got me to where I am now and b.) will keep me successful in the future.

For starters, I think belief is one of the biggest factors. Sure I have my occasional doubts, but deep down I know this is the path I am meant to be following and feel very convicted in knowing that’s the truth. I know my strengths and I am confident in my ability to do this work so that’s what keeps me going.

I also believe that sticking it out no matter what is really the only reason I am still here today. There’s been so many ups and downs in my creative business. There’s been times I’ve had absolutely nothing going on and second guessing everything, wondering why I should even keep trying. I’ve had product launches that were a complete bust. But even when I felt like no one cared and no one was paying attention, I just always promised myself to keep going.

I have to attribute a lot of my success to having a really great support system. My husband, Josh, has been my biggest supporter through everything. On the days where I felt like no one believed in me or took my aspirations seriously, he has always had my back. During my busy seasons when I barely have time to sleep, he picks up the slack around the house. No matter how many times I’ve failed he’s always encouraged me to keep going. Having supportive people in my corner has made this journey more enjoyable and sustainable.

Overall, I can’t pinpoint one thing that has been most significant in getting to where I am. And there’s so many additional factors that I could list off as well; like the years of practice, trial and error or the relationships I’ve built with local vendors. But I do know these all are factors I want to keep with me as I get to where I want to go.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is centered around hand lettering. I have spent a lot of time and practice developing my own style of calligraphy. When someone hires me, they know exactly the style of lettering they will get for their project. I have finally gotten to a point where I am proud of the lettering style I have developed. It hasn’t always been that way. Surprisingly, I haven’t always been good at lettering and it definitely did not come natural to me. I’ve gone through years of practice to eventually develop a style that looks nice and is unique to me.

I love that I have done so much to diversify what my business offers and who it tailors to. There’s one side of my business that provides services for local weddings. Another part of my business creates custom hand lettered decor pieces. I also offer clothing products, rental signage, on-site lettering, custom engraving and so much more! I love that this makes every project different and no week is the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I am pretty new to Georgia still. I’ve only lived here for less that 2 years and about 6 months of that time was wasted on the pandemic but this is where I would take my best friend who was visiting Atlanta for the first time based on my experience here so far.

I would start with taking her to downtown Woodstock. This town is the reason I fell in love with this area and knew it was somewhere I wanted to stay. We would go to eat at one of our favorite restaurants like Ipp’s or Pure Taqueria. Then we would go to Reformation Brewery, listen to live music and have a few of our favorite beers. While in Woodstock we would go to a free concert at the amphitheater as well.

On another day, I would take them to Ponce City Market and then walk the Beltline. We would go to the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. After that we would got to Marietta and do the Marietta Beer Bus, something we always love to do when people visit.

These are some of our favorite things at the moment. I’m excited to explore the city more as I still feel like I’m learning so much about what there is to do here!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, my biggest supporter, deserves the most credit for my story. As I mentioned before, he is the person who has always believed in me and my future success. His support has meant everything to me and I know I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.

I’ve read a lot of personal development and business books, listened to many podcasts and took a few courses over the years. There are a few that have especially made a significant impact. The book Beyond Business by Lonnie Gienger completely changed how I viewed my business. Even as a small creative business, it’s helped me see the role that business can play in transforming the world and the powerful impact business leaders can have. It challenge me to think about the possibility that business might be intended to be an extension of the church to bring a God-honoring transformation to society. A lot of days, this is the reminder I’ve needed for why my work can one day make an impact.

When it comes to how I learned calligraphy, I must give a lot of the credit to Becca Courtice from The Happy Ever Crafter. She is a modern calligraphy teacher who offers so many online resources and courses for learning calligraphy. Her programs provided me with an essential foundation to develop my skills.

Website: writtenbyrachelmacleod.com

Instagram: @writtenbyrachel

Facebook: @writtenbyrachelmacleod

Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WrittenbyrachelM

Image Credits
Ginger Snap Studios Birdie Fitch Photography Taitt Vosatka Photography