Contributed by Alexandra Sissulak.
My professional career started just over 20 years ago in the corporate world of personal lines insurance for the private clients and family offices. It would seem that work in the insurance industry seemed to flow through my blood based on several generations of various family members. No one ever really finds their way into insurance on purpose; it just sort of all-of-a-sudden just happens one day. Poof! One day you find yourself seated in front of several monitors at a desk in a row of cubicles doing somewhat of a thankless job day-in and day-out, scratching your head trying to figure out how you managed to find your way there.
Before I crash landed in the insurance industry, I was a mixed bag of who knows what. I swam, danced, sang, and played my flute through high school and college, among several other questionable and distracting activities. After college, my creative efforts expanded into photography and videography. Generally excelling in anything which required practice, discipline, tenacity, passion, creativity, and loads of determination. If it was something I wanted to try and do, I simply did it. With the appropriate amount of fear and trepidation, although never enough to deter or undermine me from my path, I pushed forward, breaking though barriers, and carried my way toward the intended destination.
Just over halfway through my career, I made a very bad decision that caused the entire train to derail and jump the tracks. While working for a woman whose image appears next to the definition of the “wicked witch”, I grabbed onto the thread of opportunity and shifted direction and decided to try something new, same industry, just different piece of the puzzle. This cycle of shifting gears went on for several years until I broke. I broke because I was utterly lost and horribly spent and burnt out; chewed up and spit back out again. Rock. Bottom.
It was there, where I was laid on the path, face down in the mud and dirt with the rain soaking me to the bone; cold, shaking, and stained with tears and mud. The dark sky was filled with ominous shadows and clouds, and I closed my eyes and just breathed. It was in that place that I realized not only that the world was so much bigger than me, but also that same world was so much smaller in relation to everything else.
When I staggered back up to my feet and shook myself off, I continued the path. Yes, it was the same path, however I decided I would see things through an entirely different lens and perspective. I also shed the filters, masks, and personas I developed along the way. Obligation meant something entirely different to me after that. Need vs. Want became obscured. Instead of racing forward in a mad dash of impatience, immediate gratification, and impulsivity, each step I took was mindful and firmly rooted in the present.
Because I had absolutely no experience in using this approach or living this way until now, I sought ways to become intimately familiar with it and stumbled upon a book “The Guide to Mindful Lettering” by Lisa Funk, and it changed my life. From there, a little branch appeared on my path that seemed to travel alongside my journey always allowing me to dip into my need to bring color, patience, mindfulness, and creativity in my life. Through the practice of the basic strokes, I was able to satisfy my need for discipline. Using various and differing mediums, I began expressing my thoughts through words and color. It became a blend of visual and written art. Most of my creative efforts in life up until then had been mostly music and dance and lettering become another arrow in my quiver of creativity.
Lettering famous quotes, sarcastic and snarky phrases, or meaningful poetry has brought a space for reflection, thought, and contemplation into my life and feels like I’ve found a piece to a puzzle I didn’t even realize I had been missing before.
For me, lettering has become a way for me to express my truth. However imperfect or messy, brilliant and colorful, simple or complicated. It just is. I found a secret, or maybe not so secret, way to live my life in a way that imitates art. Studying and practicing various methods of creative expression, each representing an entirely unique perspective, has become an invaluable resource when fielding life’s inevitable curveballs.
Learning and practicing brush lettering, modern and pointed-pen calligraphy, and watercolor painting, brings a sense of balance, serenity, and tranquility of mind that my life had otherwise been completely lacking. While moving through the yoga poses of the sunrise series or dancing provides a physical expression of creativity, there is continual room for improvement, growth, stamina, and flexibility. Whereas my music performance generally lacks technically and precision, I more than make up for it with a passionate, emotive, heart-felt, and expressive interpretation of the piece.
Lettering feeds my mind and spirit, yoga and dance satisfy my body and mind, and music is playground for my body and spirit. It’s all connected. Mind. Body. And spirit. Personal creative evolution is a large factor in how I arrived at where I am today, and lettering has become a significant landmark in this journey.
