Lettering Works

Hi! I’m Chelsie Tamms, the designer and brand strategist behind Lettering Works. I’ve helped dozens of artists, makers, and small business owners transform their brands through thoughtful strategy and custom design. How it started: Growing up, I spent much of my free time drawing and took every art class my school offered (even forgoing lunch and study hall during my senior year). This led me to study Graphic Design and Marketing at Bradley University, where during my senior year, I won $10,000 in startup funding in their annual student entrepreneurship competition. It was then that I realized—I could actually turn my love of hand lettering into a full-time career. Hence, Lettering Works was born. How it’s going: Fast forward 7+ years, nine awards, and 35+ custom branding projects later, Lettering Works has become more than a branding studio specializing in unique hand-lettering—but a resource for creatives to build a sustainable career around their art. I’ve worked with coaches, musicians, apparel brands, and even fellow designers to create unique branding assets that accelerate their successes. I’ve also designed original merchandise and art products for museums and local gift shops around the Chicagoland area. Working with fellow creatives has been one of the most inspiring parts of my journey. It’s ultimately what led me to expand my business into three areas to share my passion for art: • Branding • Wholesale • Courses As an artist myself, I deeply understand the creative process and know the value of having someone who understands your vision. That’s why I strive to create a true partnership with my clients— jumping from artist to strategist to business mentor to get you where you need to go.