SEE HER WORK
THE ART OF SELF-CARE
Calligraphy artist Amanda Reid reflects on selfcare and increasing visibility in fine art. BY JESS BUGG
If you haven’t given calligraphy much thought, spend 10
STEPPING UP
Shortly after creating Amanda Reid Designs in 2019, Reid created the Instagram page Calligraphers of Color after realizing there were no prominent BIPOC in the calligraphy space. “If you search ‘Black calligrapher’ the only thing that comes up is calligraphy in black and white.” She says laughing, “I remember standing in my kitchen with my husband, [Matthew], and I was like, ‘Where are we? I know I am not the only Black calligrapher. If we don’t have anyone as an example, then somebody has to step up, and that might have to be me.’” Reid initially had between 1,000 and 2,000 followers before the Black Lives Matter movement accelerated in the summer of 2020. Suddenly her page reached over 10,000 in only a few months and Reid had to quickly adapt to growth she wasn’t necessarily ready for. “People were looking for Black artists and my page was getting shared a lot. At first, I was overwhelmed by support but then realized a lot of people were reaching out who didn’t feel genuine. I felt that some people were just trying to throw my name and my face on their list of Black artists even though they had never even spoken to me.”
28 | AUSTIN WOMAN | FEBRUARY 2022
“” It was really relaxing and meditative for me. It just became an escape.
Photos by Cayla Cummings of Carhart Photography.
minutes with Amanda Reid and it will become your new obsession. Reid is a calligraphy artist, educator, health care worker and entrepreneur. She is also incredibly passionate about making a positive impact on the world through promoting diversity within the calligraphy space. While working on her doctorate in physical therapy, Reid attended a calligraphy workshop. “It was really relaxing and meditative for me. It just became an escape.” Reid continued attending workshops in the evenings after class as a way to unwind from the demands of school and to exercise her creative side. At home she practiced by writing her course notes in calligraphy, which also made her study sessions more relaxed. During a particularly draining orthopedic residency, Reid realized she was no longer willing to sacrifice her mental health for the sake of reaching career goals. After leaving the residency, she was able to put her attention back on calligraphy. Eventually she started posting her work on social media where followers requested custom designs and tutorials. This is how Amanda Reid Designs began.
