Member Feature: Amina Ahmad

This month we are introducing our other SSLetters co-founder, Amina Ahmad! Amina is a compulsive creative who primarily owns and operates her candle company Handmade Habitat, whose logo is the base of SSLetters' origin story! You'll find her at meetings doodling copious amounts of flowers alongside her letters. Get to know her better in this month's member profile! 

How did you discover hand lettering?

I think I started seeing hand lettering as it's known now on Instagram a lot. I was hand lettering things before I knew what hand lettering was, but once I found the whole world of it, I was so excited about it!

How long have you been hand lettering?

I was a Type A kid that would change their handwriting all the time and copy school notes into new notebooks if I found a cool new pen or notebook, or changed my handwriting. So since forever, I guess lol. With intention though since Christy and I started SSLetters back in 2015, damn it's been a while.

Describe your hand lettering style.

I love doing scripted, cursive, bold lettering. I also love messy, scrawly hand lettering that I think more of as handwriting with lots of floral embellishments. I'd also say my style is very imperfect. Perfection bores me, and I definitely don't have the patience or discipline for it.

What are your favorite tools to hand letter with and ways to display hand lettering?

I love really inky pens. I just bought a Tombow brush pen and am trying to learn how to use it. I also love writing with really basic stuff - the Pilot G2 and the Pilot V5 rolling ball give me such satisfaction and I always have them on me. I also love pencils and am having a love affair with Blackwing pencils. I love hand lettering things that you have to write anyway - cards, gift tags - things like that. The holidays are where I shine.

How did you find SSLetters?

I co-founded it! It was a great way for me to have time to be creative without pressure of performing or generating my income based on it. Christy and I are both creative professionals in our different ways, and this was such a great place to not attach any end result to creativity.

What brings you back to SSLetters?

Even with having a hectic schedule, I always find it really relaxing to make the time to get to SSLetters. I love chatting with people in the neighborhood, some of which I've gotten to know really well over the years! I also love learning new things about people that I've seen at soo many of the meetings over the years. It's a great space.

What was your favorite SSLetters meeting that you attended and why?

I love the random acts of lettering meetings. It's really heartwarming seeing what people contribute to make other people feel good. I also love the laser letters workshops. I always come away with a really cool piece to put in my home.

What inspires your lettering?

I'm really inspired by vintage scripted lettering though my lettering is much less in that style. I do love flow and emphasis of different words in phrases and song lyrics. I like trying to translate a rhythm to paper.

Do you have any hand lettering projects that you're working on? Tell us about it! Or any projects you have done in the past to share? 

After a 100 day drawing challenge last year, I'm trying to draw more these days and incorporate lettering into that. When I travel, I have a little sketchbook that fits into my bag and I love doodling + lettering where we go, what we eat, and what we do. It's not a finite project, but a way to engage with experiences around me. For my business, I also like to incorporate lettering into packaging. Last year I did a pair of hand lettered matchbooks and a hand lettered card that were letter pressed! Our holiday candle collection also had hand lettered + drawn elements. I also revamped our logo with hand lettering!

What do you do outside of hand lettering? Any special interests?

In my non-lettering time, I spend a lot of time walking and petting my dog, burning candles, arranging flowers, drinking tea, loitering in coffee shops, and am trying to explore cooking more.

What is your favorite letter, number or character to letter?

I love lowercase r's, m's, a's and z's

What is your most challenging letter, number or character to letter?

Uppercase A's stress me out

Thanks for sharing, Amina! Keep up with Amina's adventures on Instagram and Twitter, and follow her business, Handmade Habitat, for little doses of lettering + cozy vibes.