Today we’d like to introduce you to Mindy Wolfe.
Hi Mindy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My creative journey started in 2016 when I began bullet journaling. I was a stay-at-home mom and loved being home with my daughter, but I was feeling a lack of accomplishment. I loved making a plan for the day in one of my many Very Bradley notebooks I’ve collected over the years. Being able to go back at night and check things off my list helped me realize that I was doing a lot throughout the day, and it made me feel that sense of accomplishment I was missing.
I started seeing beautiful script lettering everywhere on bullet journal ideas from Pinterest, and I wanted to learn how to improve my handwriting. My first official bullet journal was a lime green Leuchtturm bullet journal!
I heard about a free modern calligraphy course called ShowMeYourDrills in 2017 with Becca, The Happy Ever Crafter and it was so fun! At night and during nap time I would practice my drills. I started my Instagram account, @_journaljourney_ to join Becca’s community of modern calligraphers. I did not anticipate that I would make actual friends here or do more with my calligraphy than make my bullet journal pretty!
Later that year I took Stephanie Fehrenbach’s ShowMeYourFlorals beginning watercolor class and fell in love with watercolors!
I’ve been able to incorporate both watercolor and calligraphy into custom art pieces, and it’s been so much fun creating meaningful artwork for others. I opened my Etsy shop in 2018 and created my Instagram business account @bella.lou.boutique to share my creations and the professional side of my business.
I purchased an iPad Pro and have been learning how to create digital watercolor, alcohol ink, and calligraphy pieces of art using a program called Procreate. It’s so much fun for me to create digitally!
In 2019 I participated in two in-person shopping events as a vendor. It was fun to be able to talk to people and connect through art! I also loved meeting the other vendors and talking about their stories and how they got to be where they were in their business.
From 2020-21 I created my first ever custom wedding invitation suite for my brother and sister-in-law. I learned so much and had a really fun time creating all of the artwork for their stationery. I will be creating more suites and launching a semi-custom invitation line to my Etsy shop as soon as it’s ready! My goal is 2022.
Ultimately, what makes me happy is making others happy; I love spreading joy!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve had to learn that it’s okay to not have a niche. I love creating a lot of different types of art: alcohol ink art, floral art, aurora borealis watercolor art, and digital versions of all of those! I love creating with color and I love spreading joy with my creations.
One of my biggest struggles has been finding my style and my voice in my art. Creating the wedding stationery for my brother and sister-in-law was a labor of love and I’m so proud of the design and the story I told with the artwork. I found my voice and my style with those creations, and it has sparked a new feeling of confidence and pride in my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
You’ll often find me creating with bright colors because that’s what brings me joy! I enjoy creating all kinds of art and I tend to get hooked on one style for a while, and then I’ll shift to a different style or medium. I use Procreate on the iPad to create alcohol ink, acrylic, watercolor, botanical illustrations, and calligraphy-style artwork. I also paint with watercolor and draw florals. Whatever I’m creating, I experience joy while doing it, and I like to tell that story in the artwork. Not all art resonates with everyone, but when it does resonate with people, it’s a really special feeling.
Something I started recently is a ko-fi page as a way to share exclusive art and more of my behind-the-scenes with people who are invested in my art and my story. I have a few folks who support me every month for the cost of a few coffees and I send them a mini-painting each month! I love creating these custom pieces for them. It’s a fun way for me to create freely and surprise them with something new! My hope is that it brings them a little bit of sunshine each month.
I’m most proud of finding my voice and style with the wedding invitation suite I created.
I love supporting other Michigan businesses and sharing about them on social media. It’s fun to learn about people’s stories and ambitions and to support them when I can. I think there’s a real sense of community when you interact with small businesses and talk to people who are making their dreams a reality!
What sets me apart from others is my mission of spreading joy. I want others to experience the world around them and find joy in the little things in life. I appreciate the small details that bring beauty to the world, and experiencing them brings me so much joy!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I don’t really talk about my hobby of photography, but it brings me so much joy! I love photographing flowers. Someday I’d like to grow a beautiful garden in my backyard for endless photo opportunities! Something that I adore is photographing flowers before they open. I see so much beauty in those moments. I encourage you to take a look around you on your next walk and look for things that haven’t quite blossomed yet; you might be surprised by what you see! Look for little details that you might’ve overlooked before. I hope you find something that brings you joy!
Pricing:
- I offer Custom Alcohol Ink Canvases on my Ko-Fi page. You’ll receive a custom 20×30 metallic canvas for $300
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.bellalouboutique.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/_journaljourney_ instagram.com/bella.lou.boutique
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindysjournaljourney https://www.facebook.com/bellalouboutiquesuite
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BellaLouBtq
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLmUvWTmbUn3V5drBEIw_Mw
- Other: https://ko-fi.com/journaljourney
