Meet Afshawn Chakamian | Owner of AC Letters Calligraphy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Afshawn Chakamian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Afshawn, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As someone with a day job and my own business, I try to think about work life balance in a macro sense – over the course of a week, or a month, or a season. Life always has it’s peaks and valleys so I try not to worry if individual days feel off balance as I know things will even out. Instead of setting a to-do list for a specific day, on Sunday nights I write all the things I need to (realistically!) accomplish that week. I plan a loose structure for the week around appointments and other activities, but I keep things fluid so that if one day gets derailed with a last minute issue or I feel like reading a book at night instead of doing calligraphy work, I know I’ll be okay.

Weddings are a huge part of my business and thankfully weddings are a year-round activity here in San Diego. But there are also smaller calligraphy projects that pop up through the year – gifts for loved ones, a home project – and I want to make sure I have time to work on those too! My first year in business, I took on too many weddings over the summer period and I quickly learned what my limits were. I used that experience to determine how many of each type of project I can take on at any given time…and also learned it’s okay to say no to potential client and refer them to someone else if I’m at my limit.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My signature calligraphy style has been honed over the years to do away with cluttered flourishes in favor of timeless designs that are readable! Calligraphy is an art but it’s also meant to serve a function (especially at weddings!) so I always want to ensure my art is readable.

Probably the hardest part of starting my own business has been figuring out all the “behind-the-scene” things like building a successful website, figuring out a workflow to book a client, bookkeeping, etc. The calligraphy is the easy part! Some days I want to just create pretty art, but instead have to focus on admin work in order to continue serving my clients and growing my business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love taking out of town visitors to Torrey Pines to hike along the cliffs and then walk along the beach. It’s not a hard hike so it’s perfect for everyone and the views are gorgeous. Afterwards, Bird Rock Coffee has a location just around the corner and it’s the perfect place to grab an amazing cup of coffee and hang out for a bit.

For breakfast, it’s a tie between Snooze in Hillcrest or Fig Tree Cafe. While the original Fig Tree Cafe in PB is super cute, I do love the Liberty Station location because you can walk around the public market while you wait for your table.

Spending an afternoon in Balboa Park is always a good choice – it’s the perfect place to picnic, chat, and throw a frisbee around. There’s so many amazing parts of Balboa Park too, so you could go multiple times and check out different areas!

No trip to San Diego is complete without a California burrito, and my favorite one is at Ortiz Taco Shop in Point Loma. It’s close to Sunset Cliffs, so you can catch the sunset at the cliffs then get a delicious burrito for dinner.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout the amazing calligraphy online community. The number of calligraphers and creative artists who are willing to share behind the scenes of their business and educate other calligraphers on how to be successful is amazing! I’ve learned so much from my fellow creatives and appreciate the Community Over Competition mindset. Whether it’s courses, Facebook groups, or a quick Instagram DM, everyone is willing to answer a question or help you find that perfect material to create something amazing.

Website: https://acletterscalligraphy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acletterscalligraphy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acletterscalligraphy