Eye on Small Business: Chi Creations Co., Scarsdale

Westchester County native Chiaki Hagiwara had loved creating art since she was a child, but it wasn’t until she worked at the Paper Source store in Eastchester almost 10 years ago that she was introduced to the art of calligraphy.

Discovering she had a natural propensity for it and sharing her early work online, Chi, as she is known, started receiving requests from friends for help with their wedding and event calligraphy.

“That’s when it clicked that I had a skill that was in demand,” she recalled.

Speaking about the challenges of launching her business, Chi Creations Co. Chi said she made sure to start off with an online presence. She created a calligraphy business Instagram account as well as a website with eye-catching photographs highlighting her work to attract potential clients. She also focused on networking with other calligraphers locally, nationwide and even internationally, with the aim of not only building a community but also learning from them how they built their own businesses and gathered clients.

She acknowledged that building a business from scratch without any prior experience came with myriad challenges, “making you feel alone in (the) process.” She gave a shout-out to her career coach, Rosie Chhun of the Los Angeles-based Craft Academy, who gave her the guidance and tools she needed to navigate the business in its early days.

Chi was also encouraged by the calligraphers she’s befriended, who have been nothing but friendly and generous with their support.

“I’ve gotten so many work opportunities extended through these connections. You never know what kind of magic a connection can bring you.”

Working from her Scarsdale studio, she does not only calligraphy but engraving, painting, hot-foiling and illustration. On-site possibilities – where Chi leaves her studio and attends events in person to demonstrate her art – include calligraphy, engraving, bottle painting and fashion illustrations. These provide attendees with a form of “live” entertainment that leaves them with personalized keepsakes to bring home after the performance.

Chi said she loves working on-site, because you get to interact directly with customers and see their reactions when they receive their personalized creations. She mentioned an engraved, celebratory message on a bottle for a couple gifting it to their son, who got into his dream university, as well as a monogrammed tote bag for a mother giving it to her daughter, who was about to have her first child. A number of other customers, she said, simply wanted to treat themselves to a customized lipstick or fragrance to celebrate their own milestones.

Asked about how she saw her business developing, Chi said she had a number of projects she wanted to work on that would “stretch the  boundaries of how calligraphy can be utilized creatively.” She said she especially wanted to grow a bigger presence within the Westchester community and collaborate with other local businesses and organizations, adding, “I’m crossing my fingers.”