Meet the Letterer!

Lefty, Letterer, Scrapbooker, Crafter, and More!

Picture of Lesley Miller

Hello!

My name is Lesley and I am a lefty letterer!  I have always loved fancy writing since elementary school.  I was the queen of the dot letters in elementary school.  It is so crazy to think the kid who loved bedazzling letters with polka dots gets to share her love of lettering with people other than her stuffed animals and American Girl dolls.

For many years, I taught middle school science.  I loved teaching and spending every day sharing my joy of learning with children.  My goal was always to have “butts-up-science,” when the kids were so engaged in their work that  they leaned over whatever they were working on and focused on the task at hand.  A room full of tails in the air meant lots of learning was going on!  While I don’t really want bottoms in the air while we letter, I  strive to have super engaged students.  I have two undergraduate degrees in Child Development B-K and Elementary Education, a Masters degree in Curriculum K-12, and an EdS and a license to be a school administrator.  I left teaching just before my son turned one.  I loved the classroom, but wanted to have time to spend with him.  It was a surprise to me how much I missed being in the classroom and sharing my love of learning with other people.  And then, lettering fell in my lap and I fell in love!  The creativity I brought to my classroom instruction is what I love to channel into my lettering lessons and custom work!

 

In the past year, I have taught more than 300 people the art of lettering and can proudly say that anyone can letter – if you know how to do it!  I know that with a few tricks you can take a little bit of writing with a fancy pen into hand lettering.  I want to teach you how to practice smarter – spoiler alert: you have to make the pen do the work!

I started lettering when my life was really crazy and I needed something to focus on besides chaos.  I took a watercolor lettering class and learned these things:

  • I am really terrible at painting
  • I really liked creating letters.
  • Practice makes progress.

Then, I got a few pens, but couldn’t figure out why my lettering didn’t look like all the amazing things on Instagram.?  So, I got a different pen and had the same problem.  It wasn’t until I took a lettering class that I really figured out exactly what makes lettering different than writing!  See these DELIGHTFUL before pictures as proof!  [insert facepalm here]  Lettering has been a part of my life for a few years now, but it hasn’t always been smooth!  As a lefty, I am forever smudging – usually on the last line of whatever final piece I am working on.  My son always asks me why I have colored on myself…. Oh buddy, if you only knew!

I love teaching others to letter.  Just like in the classroom, I love it when that lightbulb moment goes off and my students figure out how to make the pens work for them and create stunning pieces of lettering!  It isn’t always easy, but it is so worth it!  Hand lettering is one of the hottest trends right now and you can learn to create these amazing pieces too – I promise!

 

Before Piece October 2016
Sympathetic Crier 3

Want to learn?  Ready to give it a try?  Click the classes tab to find a class near you or with an online class!  I teach all across East Tennessee regularly... and other places when we are traveling.  I have all kinds of hand lettered goodies available in my shop and on the blog, plus I do commissions and custom work too.  You may have seen me around the lettering community too!  Be sure to sign up for the email list to be the first to know of new classes, prints, and more!  Check me out on Facebook and Instagram for what projects are sliding across my desk!  Interested in having some custom work created for you?  Send me a message – lesley@letteringwithlesley.com

Thanks for stopping by and I can’t wait to share my love of lettering with you!

Lesley