Daily Inspiration: Meet Kim Adams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Adams. 

Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2014, I started sharing my calligraphy and hand-lettering practice on my personal Instagram account. After a lot of positive feedback, I started a separate account dedicated solely to my artwork. Soon I had friends inquiring about custom art prints and realized maybe this little hobby could be something more. Word got around and before I knew it, I was getting inquiries from friends of friends and others, including brides-to-be and wedding planners. And that’s how kimprinted was born. In 2015 I became an LLC, and a couple years after that, kimprinted rebranded to Loose Leaf Creative. 

During that time, I was working 40+ hours/week as a copywriter in advertising while teaching myself graphic design, and the burnout was real. To protect my mental health, I quit my job and became a freelance writer, giving me more time to focus on my business. 

Since then, I’ve worked with countless couples from coast-to-coast, creating wedding stationery, day-of signage and calligraphed details for their big day. Additionally, I’ve provided hand-lettering for the Papyrus brand and even got to teach a hand-lettering class to a group of influencers at New York Fashion Week in 2020. I also teach classes locally, though it’s been a while because of the pandemic. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When you go from doing something as a hobby to making a business out of it, the waters can muddy and if you’re not careful, it starts to feel like a job or a chore and becomes unenjoyable. That’s kind of what happened to me in the beginning; I was trying to fit into the idea of what I thought my business should be — a certain look, a certain vibe, the way I spoke to my audience. Ultimately, I was creating work I didn’t love, and nothing about my business felt authentic. (This is mostly why I rebranded.) 

Other struggles included learning how to actually run a business and all the not-so-fun administrative work (like taxes). 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a calligrapher and hand-lettering artist who creates stationery, signage and artful details for weddings and events. Projects range from printed wedding invitation suite to hand-lettered seating charts, place cards, welcome signs and everything in between. I usually tell clients “If I can write on it, we can make it work.” My calligraphy has been on everything from oyster shells and pumpkins to magnifying glasses and handmade paper. I can also bring my calligraphy and lettering to life digitally — incorporating it into larger-scale projects like signage — to create that truly custom, unique look that a font can’t replicate. 

I’m most proud of the projects that become heirlooms. For example, I recently created a ketubah (a traditional Jewish marriage contract) for a couple. It was such an honor that the bride wanted my calligraphy to immortalize their vows to one another — this symbolic document with their signatures and those of their witnesses and officiant that’s now framed in their home. It’s really special to create these kinds of things. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think the pandemic opened a lot of eyes to what’s (and who’s) most important in life, and in a way, that’s translated to the wedding industry. While there were many couples who postponed so they could eventually have the wedding they wanted, there were also plenty of couples willing to scale back in order to make their wedding work within their desired timeframe. What’s been interesting, though, (at least in my experience) is that even brides planning “microweddings” still want invitations and day-of details — even if that means having to pay a little more to meet the minimum quantity required for printing. 

Generally speaking, I think we’ll see more microweddings and elopements, which means smaller venues and fewer guests. But I believe this is going to give couples a little more breathing room budget-wise, which will perhaps allow them to focus on more aesthetic details. 

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@loose-leaf-creative.com
• Website: www.loose-leaf-creative.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/looseleafcreative
• Facebook: facebook.com/looseleafcreative

Image Credits
Lizzie Schlafler
Kailey Sedmack
Brenda Mitchell
Katie Salerno