Meet Hannah Choi | Calligrapher & Live Event Artist

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

Hi Hannah, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Choi Calligraphy has been making genuine connections and continuously honing my craft. LA is surprisingly small, and everyone’s connected somehow, so I’ve learned how important it is to show up as your authentic self and make a good impression. You never know who’s watching or where a connection might lead. I’ve been incredibly lucky to build relationships with fellow artists, event planners, and clients who inspire me and push me to keep growing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Looking back, it’s easier to see how everything is connected and led me to where I am now. But at the time, it felt like I was stumbling in the dark, trying to figure things out on my own. I poured myself into learning everything I could about starting a creative business, taking online courses from artists I admired like Lauren Hom, Martina Flor, and Someday Art Co. I’m grateful that so many generous creatives share their knowledge online because it gave me a place to start.

It was during the pandemic that I finally decided to go all in and build my business, but I was scared. Scared of messing up, of what my friends and family might think if I failed, of wasting time on something that might lead nowhere. What I’ve learned is that the only way through is to keep going. When you’re starting from zero, it’s easy to compare yourself to people who are years ahead and feel like you’ll never catch up. But progress doesn’t come all at once. It comes from showing up day after day, and mistakes are part of the process. And most of the time, you’ll find that people are cheering you on more than you realize.

Choi Calligraphy is the result of all of this. Equal parts uncertainty, curiosity, and persistence. It’s a reflection of my growth as an artist and a person, and my hope is that the care and intention behind every piece I create resonates with others and brings a little beauty into their world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In no particular order, here are some places I would put on the list, assuming this is their first time in LA:

Getty Museum
Echo Park Lake
Koreatown
Hiking along the coast
Sunset view at Angeles Crest Highway
Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Hollywood Bowl (I’ve never been!)

A few of my favorite places to eat that come to mind are Porto’s, Nem in San Gabriel for great Vietnamese food, and I recently had a fantastic dinner at Danbi.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people I’d love to shout out, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d start with Greg McNaughton at Reed College in Portland, OR. He leads the calligraphy initiative there, and it was through his classes that I first discovered calligraphy. If not for him, I truly wouldn’t be where I am today. Attending scriptorium planted the seed and sparked a passion in me that led to my work as a sign artist at Trader Joe’s and eventually gave me the confidence to branch out on my own. I also have to thank my friend Amina for giving me that extra nudge to attend scriptorium with her.

Website: https://www.choicalligraphy.com

Instagram: @choicalligraphy