As the cliche goes: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Illustrator, letterer, and author Ilana Griffo knows best. Based in Upstate New York, her stylized messages are meant to get you going. “I love that each person’s lettering style is a reflection of themselves,” remarked Griffo in an interview with Hand Lettering for Beginners. “That’s what makes it so unique – your personal touch.”
If lettering is all about that personal touch, Griffo’s got it in spades. Her posts are playful and inspiring without being too preachy. But she admits it took her much practice to get to where she is. “As a graphic designer, typography has been a passion of mine as long as I can remember,” she admitted. “I used to write, and rewrite my class notes until they were as close to perfect as possible. I learned so much about the art of type as a design student, and I interned at a letterpress studio to learn more about the origin of type. I wanted to learn more about hand lettering because I knew it would bring a unique and personalized touch to the work I was doing with my design clients.”
Her curiosity about hand lettering would blossom into a full-time job a while later. “I took the class as a creative outlet,” she says. “While it related directly to the work I do daily, it was a step away from the computer, a new challenge. I was excited to have some direction, and someone to inspire and motivate me.”
Now she motivates others through her writing. It seems we’ve come full circle!
