Erica Howard shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Erica, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Running! I can easily zone out while on a long run. Running is where I pray, think, design and just let my mind go blank. I’m in a very busy season of life, so running is my constant. And if I can find myself running on trails in the mountains, even better 🙂
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am an artisan letterpress printer & designer.
I’ve always loved paper/stationery; growing up, I was the kid that loved to create handmade cards, invitations and scrapbook!
My husband and I purchased my first letterpress back in 2016 – and I had no idea how to use it at the time; I just knew I loved letterpress printing and the way fancy stationery and papers made me feel 🙂
I am a completely self-taught printer/designer; with some help from other amazing printers currently in the industry.
I mainly press on a Golding Pearl letterpress, circa 1909. I also have a Vandercook press, circa 1960s.
I provide letterpress printing for other small businesses & I design/print wedding invitations and personal stationery. I help with the design from start to finish, involving my clients as much as possible to bring their vision to life. Almost every project I press is unique to the client’s wishes.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents are some of the hardest workers I’ve ever known. I didn’t realize the struggle when I was growing up, but looking back.. my parents were hustlers. They constantly worked their asses off to get ahead. I’ve helped my mom with paper routes (back when people still got paper newspapers, lol) and my dad hanging duct work on Saturday afternoons. They made those things seem like fun, but in the background they working to provide for our family. I admire their no-bullshit work ethics. No job was beneath them.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Sure! My mom being the one cooking dinner every night. I realized I’m the one in charge of dinner now… and sheesh, it’s a lot of work.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I have a good friend Hannah (Hanny Lou Designs) that is so unapologetically open about her faith in Jesus Christ on all her social media platforms! I am so proud of her for constantly standing up for her beliefs and sharing her continual testimony aloud to encourage other believers, myself included. Her character is so pure – what you see of her is raw and real. I know God blesses her courage to speak out about how her life is changed because of Him. Hannah makes me want to be a bolder Christian! Thankful for friendships that speak the truth.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that I brought encouragement and a smile to their face! I hope they say I was a caring friend.
But mostly I hope they know they will see me again in Heaven and that I was a light in their world that showed them Jesus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ruthieandoliverletterpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthieandoliverletterpress
Image Credits
@ianvsantiago
@sydjordan.photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
