savannah knudsen hillis - collaboration inspires and makes your vision a reality ...

beautiful photography by Paige Knudsen

 Happy Sunday dear friends !  

For the people that have just started to read my blog I will give you a little background... In 2015 after a trip to New York I came home and got very sick, a bad flu I thought + jetlag but by day 5 I lost feeling on my left side and the pain in my head was unbearable so I took myself off to the doctors and after loads of tests they worked out I had, had an infection in my brain.  I am one of those people that tries to do everything and I am TERRIBLE at letting any one help me but after months of struggle {and the realisation that my body was never going to be quite the same} a friend suggested to me to try something new to help get my business back on track so I would have something to work towards.

Here is where Savannah comes in but I am not sure she is even aware of how important her role was in getting me back on track. Being inspired and driven again. 

Savannah is the daughter of my dear friend Paige and I had watched her from afar {from opposite sides of the globe}. Her calligraphy was exquisite and I loved it because it was unique, not at all cookie cutter and it showed the free spirit that I knew she was.  So in 2016 I emailed her about a collaboration and the rest as they say is history....  

I love that I can come up with an idea, words and sayings that I love and when she sends them back they are always just uniquely her.... so like me I am sure you would like to know at little bit about the gorgeous human she is...  so I asked her a few questions this week so you get to know her a little better ....

What's your day job ? What do you love about it ?

-I am a Marketing Manager for Old Navy in San Francisco. I studied Marketing in college because I've always been excited by the way brands tell their stories. I love the way that Marketing provides a way for creativity and strategy to meet. My job today allows me to have a lot of responsibility and ownership over various projects and really have a voice and point of view in how our brand launches new products and connects with our customers. I love that Old Navy is fun and fashionable and at a great value-- everyone can look great and feel great without breaking the bank.  

Why the move to San Francisco ?

-I grew up in the South in Atlanta, Georgia. Its an amazing, amazing place, but i always knew i wanted to spend my 20's around the country. California drew my now husband and I in with the amazing coastal landscapes, incredible weather, and idea of a fresh adventure for once we got married. the job opportunties are pretty unparalled, so we decided to make the leap and head west. 

savannahs home in san francisco

How did you get into calligraphy ?

- I honestly can't even remember how! I have always loved testing various creative muscles and finding something that I'm uniquely good at. I always doodled in school and loved writing out beautiful words or my friends names. As people's ideas of what true calligraphy was were being tested, I felt more comfortable practising and learning my style. I helped my mom with Christmas cards, made friends gifts here and there, and essentially ended up in this really fun and exploratory place of having side jobs to help express my creativity. 

Favourite piece of furniture or home decor item ?

One of my very best friends hand crafted our coffee table as a wedding gift for me and my husband. Its incredibly beautiful, with little details that are special to the both of us. It will always reminds me of our friendship and how special she is to us! 

I also have several other pieces of art through out our home that have been gifts from friends and family over the last year and a half since our wedding. They each hold special memories of those relationships and who has been impactful in our lives and marriage

savannahs beautiful calligraphy is so much a part of my brand today.

whats your favourite quote ?

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

-Harriet Tubman

Thank you Savannah for inspiring me with your beautiful work.  

Have a marvellous week everyone.   See you next Sunday.