In December 2022, I launched the Artist Trade Program, a concept to bypass the need for myself to make more money in order to get original artwork and cool art services and also allow artists to bypass the need to make more money from their art in order to invest in their arts businesses.

My first official artist trade was completed in January 2023 with Meghan of Bridging Canvas. Throughout 2023, I completed ten trades with artists, which you can read about here. In 2024, I completed seven trades with artists. Here’s a closer look at them as well as a preview of what I’m looking to trade in 2025.

1. Personal Development Coaching for a Logo Design

Jessica Farquhar Campbell provided 1:1 personal development coaching in exchange for a custom logo design for her business, Frittata Consulting. This trade allowed us to really get to know each other’s businesses.

Here’s what Jessica had to say about working together: “Working with Lettering Works was a perfect match for me because I am equal parts creativity and process-oriented, and I think Chelsie is too. So, I loved that the foundation for the project was my own preferences and ideas but then Chelsie brought her own eye and expertise to level things up. I also appreciate how straight-forward and easy the design process and communication went.”

Read more about our work together here. Find Jessica’s work at frittataco.com.

2. Podcast Advertising Spots for Custom Merchandise Design

Amelia traded advertising spots on her podcast Off the Grid in exchange for two custom merchandise designs to promote the podcast. I was also a guest on the podcast and we dove deeper into our exchange as well as talked about all things passion projects, growing with generosity, and building your dream business.

Here’s what Amelia had to say about our trade: “Working with Chelsie was such a joy! We'd collaborated on a sticker project years ago, but it was so fun to reconnect for this trade and to have her on my podcast Off the Grid. To celebrate and promote her episode, Chelsie designed an amazing sticker collection all about digital wellness that I promoted on the show. And then we also swapped ad space on the show for two custom Off the Grid sticker designs that my listeners LOVED. It was such a great way to share the show, excite my community and deepen my friendship with Chelsie. And I loved that we both got to use our skills to grow our audiences in the process!”

Read more about our collaboration and how it lead to my spring sticker collection and listen to our podcast episode here. Find Amelia’s work at offthegrid.fun.

3. Custom Card Design for Wedding Photography

Lauren traded an extra hour of wedding photography coverage for a custom wedding card design. She photographed Daniel and our immediate families at our courthouse elopement in May 2024 as well as my family party in Brookfield, Wisconsin. While I initially hoped to trade fully for wedding photography coverage, this was a nice compromise and helped ensure we had plenty of time to capture countless special moments.

See the full recap of the Midwest Wedding Tour featuring Lauren’s photos here. Find Lauren’s work at lillerphoto.com.

4. User Experience Feedback for Access to Self-Made Artist Academy (Angela)

When I made the decision to move Self-Made Artist Academy, Are You on Brand?, The Power of Passion Projects, and Learn Lettering with Chelsie Tamms from Kajabi to Squarespace, I knew I wanted a second set of eyes on everything. Angela provided her UI/UX expertise and professional review in exchange for access to the courses.

She shared via email that she was thrilled with the trade saying: “If you are thinking about the Artist Trade Program with Lettering Works, DO IT! Working with Chelsie was very fun, professional, and rewarding. And the learning materials she shared continue to help me with my business, over a year later.”. And I was thrilled to have dodged some of the broken links and other issues she found due to the move of platforms.

Explore my course offerings here. Find Angela’s work at angelastucky.com.

5. Gif Creation for Consulting Session

Aimee traded her skills in crafting unique gifs of three of my original artworks for a 1:1 consulting session where we covered everything from local entrepreneurial resources in Central Illinois to creating a business model to brainstorming new offerings and calculating income goals.

The gifs that Aimee created are searchable via Giphy and on Instagram - simply search for “chelsietamms” or “letteringworks” to find them alongside the ones that Jordyn created as one of our Artist Trade Program trades of 2023.

You can buy Aimee’s book “Budward Bird Worm Ranch” here.

6. Abstract Painting for Consulting Session

Elizabeth allowed me to partially pay for one her original abstract paintings with a trade. We met at a local coffee shop and chatted all things time management, business development, creative practices and more.

This was a particularly exciting trade for me because Elizabeth was selling her paintings on Instagram in preparation to move away from Chicago to get her PhD and my offer of a trade plus a cash payment allowed her to get paid above her sliding scale asking price. On top of that, I originally fell in love with this particular painting about a year before at a Farmers Market. When it came back around, I knew I needed to act on it.

Find Elizabeth’s work at chickenswithopinions.com.

7. Wedding Flower Preservation for Consulting Session

Laura traded her skills creating the most unique and memorable keepsakes with our wedding flowers for a 1:1 consulting session where we chatted about all things entrepreneurship and business. Laura recently started After Party Celebration Preservation to help couples, florists, and wedding planners memorialize flowers into meaningful keepsakes that can be enjoyed over and over.

Find Laura’s work at afterpartypreservation.com.

2025 Artist Trade Goals

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of trades that I am actively looking for in 2025.

Depending on the cost of your services and products, you can expect to receive anything from access to online courses (ranging in value from $40-$500) to 1:1 consulting (sliding scale from $100-$300) to logo design services (ranging from $1,000-$3,000+) to full branding services (ranging from $2,500-$5,000+). I offer partial trades and am always happy to answer any questions to ensure we are on the same page and feeling mutually valued.

• Hair stylist (regular cuts or color) - ideally Logan Square based

• Nail technician or nail salon (regular manicures and pedicures)

• Original artwork - custom pottery for everyday dining, paintings, stained glass, large-format artwork, jewelry

• Cleaning service for apartment (bi-weekly or monthly cleanings), professional organizing services, weekly meal prep, or related household support

• Food from local restaurants

If you or someone you know offer one of these listed products or services and could use help building your business or brand from Lettering Works, please get in touch!

THE BUSINESS BACKSTORY

Hi! I’m Chelsie, the artist and owner behind Lettering Works, LLC. I founded Lettering Works in 2016 after receiving $10,000 in startup funding, which means I’ve always operated from a place of security. This is a luxury that many business owners do not have. This allows me to offer flexible payment plans and trades on a regular basis. This new artist trade program is an extension of that and aligns with my values of being transparent, kind, and helpful.