What if you could take up a new hobby, learn a new skill, and then get paid for practicing that hobby?
Unfortunately, opportunities like that simply don’t come around often enough. That’s why so many people go through life hating their job, but never changing their circumstance.
Well, it won’t make you a millionaire overnight, but there’s a fantastic blueprint I’m about to share with you that could tick all of those boxes above…
Virtually everyone can write, but very few people ever take that skill to its artistic end. I’m talking about calligraphy.
You might be surprised to know just how large of a market there is for calligraphy – it ranges from handwritten wedding invitations to logo design to font creation and plenty more.
So if you have some spare time on the weekend or in the evening, here’s the blueprint to starting a side business as a calligrapher:
Step 1: Obtain materials
Luckily, the materials necessary to begin doing calligraphy aren’t overly expensive. In fact, you’ll likely find it incredibly cheap. All you need is a small collection of specialized pens and you’re good to go.
If you want, you can also choose to practice calligraphy with some of the traditional tools of the trade: wooden pens, stiff paint brushes, large feathers, etc.
Step 2: Learn the craft how you want
Two of the best things about calligraphy are that A) it’s inexpensive to take up, and B) there are a variety of ways to learn.
Calligraphy doesn’t require any sort of degree, so you won’t have to worry about taking class after class to pick up the skill. But if you want to learn the craft in a classroom setting, do a quick online search for the next calligraphy workshop or class near you.
Another option is to use online tutorials or online classes, and you can even use books to teach yourself if you’d like.
Step 3: Begin freelancing and building a portfolio
This part is really two separate steps, but both will be done at the same time.
Once you know the skill, it’s time to get paid for it. To do so, start joining freelance websites like oDesk and Fiverr to look for people asking for calligraphy services and/or to advertise your skill.
As you gain and complete projects, you’ll also build a portfolio. And the larger the portfolio, the more likely you’ll be to gain more paid projects faster and easier!
