I am still riding a big wave of happines and inspiration from attending the Ladies of Letterpress Conference in Asheville, North Carolina this past weekend. As soon as I can collect myself in a coherent fashion I will post all about the incredible things I learned, and the amazing people I met.
For now, check out the Ladies here. And here's a picture of me at Asheville Bookworks pointing to a numbering machine I want on a platen press standing with my new friend, Dianna of Fourth Year Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We did not intend to match.
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The view from the hotel.
The first Ladies of Letterpress Conference was an enormous success. I was completely blown away by the printers, sponsers and of course, the two women who run the website and organizations, Kseniya Thomas & Jessica White. They are endlessly humble, yet extremely talented, kind ladies whose dedication to the world of letterpress is undeniable. I was really glad that when I met both of them they recognized my name from the website and thanked me for being involved in various discussions on the forum page.
The Printers Fair was spectacular, with many members showing off their printed wares and some very impressive sponsers (Mohawak Paper, Boxcar Press, Neenah Paper, Felt&Wire) giving away HOARDS of swag. Honestly, I almost needed another suitcase to get all that free paper home.
And of course the panels were great. I filled up most of a notebook scribbling down tips and tricks and bits of sage advice and funny stories from people who have been in the industry for years, and some who are just starting out, like me. At one point, after the "Letterpress as a Business" panel, I asked the speakers how they raised money to buy all of their equipment, because "I was getting very jealous listening to how everyone acquired one press after another, plus paper cutters, plate makers, etcetera". And somehow after that, I because known as "Jealous Girl". People came up to me in the days following offering advice by starting out, "You were the girl who said you were jealous, right?". It was pretty funny.
And that was one of the incredible things about the conference. The advice. I was somewhat nervous going in, since I've been printing for less than one year (though obsessed for many) I thought I might feel left out, or like an outsider. Yet, not once did I feel that way. I've never felt so enveloped and accepted by a group of people before. Everyone wants everyone else to succeed, too and there wasn't even a whiff of competitiveness among the printers. Everyone I spoke with was encouraging, friendly, and excited about what is happening in our industry and I think that we were all thrilled to be among people who spoke our language and felt incredibly comfortable opening up about mistakes we've made, and embarrassing stories because we all want to know that we're on the right path and that the people we admire didn't get there easily, either. And now, after meeting so many like-minded women (and a handful of men!) I know that I have a community to fall back on when I need help, a push or advice. We may work with some pretty obsolete machinery, but our community is as widespread and strong as the cast-iron with which we print.
Printing Office broadside, graciously given to everyone at the conference by keynote speaker (and all around fantastic lady) Judith Berliner of Full Circle Press. The original poster hung in her father's print shop for years.
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