Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Frega.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I practiced calligraphy as a child in Baptist School. I also took a class in High School called Creative Writing and practiced calligraphy in that class some, as well. I did not pick up a calligraphy pen after that high school class until I was getting married in 2012. It was then I hand-addressed all my wedding invitations and hand-wrote all of my place cards. About 6 months after that, a good friend of mine hired me to address her wedding invitations. She then convinced me to open a webpage and start offering calligraphy services more. A couple years passed, and I had a few jobs here and there. I really wanted to refine my skills, so I purchased some books and was also fortunate enough to take some private lessons in person and then online courses, too. I really began to get serious about it. Then Covid hit. I purchased a handheld engraver and took online classes with an instructor that I purchased the engraver from. Here I learned how to operate the engraver and all the different surfaces I could engrave on. Once I started offering hand engraving to my list of services, my side business began to really take off.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has not been bad, as I truly enjoy what I am doing so much. But I am also a firm believer that nothing is easy. Just like with anything, you have to work hard for what you want, and that’s exactly what I have done. And it feels really good to see how far I have come the last 5 years. I have practiced countless hours and taken classes with some of the best calligraphers and instructors in the world, who have been my mentors and now have become my good friends, too. It has all been totally worth it, and I feel truly blessed to be where I am now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a registered radiologic technologist and I have been since 2006. I work part-time at a local hospital, and Calligraphy Chik LLC is my side business. I specialize in handwritten calligraphy, hand engraving, and offer bottle painting, as well. I offer calligraphy on many types of surfaces, not just paper, and I am always up for a challenge. The possibilities are endless with the engraving and bottle painting, too! I am not proud of one thing in particular, I am proud of everything I have accomplished and how far I have come. I truly believe you can do anything you set your mind to, and I feel like I am a product of that! I look back at where I began, and I see a total transformation! Hard work pays off!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Determination. When I put my mind to something, I am determined to make it happen. When I really began to get serious about Calligraphy Chik, I put in a lot of work, and I was determined to do it. There has been some hiccups along the way, but I keep on keeping on! And it feels really good to be here.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.calligraphychik.com
- Instagram: @fancy_chikcalligraphy
- Facebook: Kelly Bryan Frega
