There's no doubt that art inspires more art. Even when it's on opposite ends, such as theatre and drawings. However, any art can inspire others to create too. BwayDrawings does calligraphy and other drawings inspired by Broadway shows. She's been doing calligraphy for a few years now. Her love for Broadway and calligraphy only naturally resulted in creating this account and business. There is so much creative energy that her drawings have, I'm sure there will be even more art inspired by hers!
When did you originally get the idea to create your business? How long was it till you started working on it? What sparked that idea?
I started doing hand-lettering and calligraphy about 3 years ago with one of my best friends, and I was REALLY BAD. I then took a class at paper source because I was obsessed with it. As I started doing more lettering, I was kinda struggling with figuring out what exactly I wanted to write, if that makes sense. Then, I figured out that maybe I could start writing lyrics from songs, and I was also just getting into Broadway coincidentally, so it kinda was perfect timing. I started the summer of 2017, and made my account in November 2017. Once I was a little better and thought I could actually do something with it, then I met more and more people doing broadway related art and got really inspired to start a shop and blog, and my account has really grown!
What is your favorite thing about having your own business?
One of my favorite things about having my own business is that it makes me realize how hard it must be to have a small business! I have a small business, but there are other small business accounts that have tons and tons of orders and I’ve gained a lot of respect for small business owners. I also love getting custom orders and being able to fulfill people’s visions! I have a person who has ordered about 15 pieces from me and it’s awesome to see my stuff displayed on her walls. It’s really rewarding getting positive responses from what i’m doing!
Do you take part in theatre, whether being an actor, crew member, etc? If not, was it ever something you tried or considered?
I did build-crew for one show at my school this past fall, and it was fun, but decided it wasn’t really my scene. I don’t have many friends who do theatre, so I found myself pretty isolated. Our spring musical was supposed to be Fiddler on the Roof, and I auditioned for it, but ended up pulling myself out of it before the cast list came out because I knew I was overcommitting myself. I have so much respect for theatre, but I think I enjoy it more sitting in the seat of the theater over being behind the scenes, but who knows, that might change!
With school, and just life in general, how do you stay motivated to keep working?
I’m currently a junior in high school, so obviously it can be hard to balance my school work with my business. I’m lucky in a sense that the orders I receive are pretty small and sporadic, which is a blessing and a curse, but I mostly only do art when I want to. I look at my friends who work really hard on both their business and their other job or schoolwork, and I realize that I am procrastinating or complaining about art or school for no reason. I also see the reward of art on the other side, and how much I love doing art and how good I feel when I get positive feedback on art, and that definitely helps me stay motivated.
What are you most proud of about your business?
I’m most proud of the amount of positive feedback I’ve gotten, as well as the friends I've made through this. If I hadn’t started my account 3 years ago, there are so many people I never would’ve met or talked to. I don't even want to think about that alternate life. Also, being a part of the Broadway makers alliance is something I'm really proud of. Everyone in that group is just so insanely talented and I feel so lucky that I get to chat with them and be a part of this group. When I started my account I looked up to so many of them, and now I can call them friends! It’s crazy and I feel so fortunate. Getting into musical theatre three years ago, although maybe a weird thing to become obsessed with, was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me and I just feel so grateful for this community.
Follow her on Instagram: @BwayDrawings