Hi, I’m Nyssa: The Story Behind Use Your Words

Hi there! I’m Nyssa, a modern calligrapher based in Central New Jersey. I’m SO glad you’re here, and welcome to my first official blog post! Growing up I was always the kid doodling on notebooks, practicing the “Cool S” (IYKYK), and playing around with fonts. I remember in 3rd grade, we learned cursive (thank you NJ for bringing it back to the curriculum!), and once you mastered it, you got to switch from using a pencil to an erasable pen. I obsessed over my handwriting, and I remember how proud and excited I was to learn a new way of writing. I grew up always interested in arts and crafts: markers, crayons, string (hello, friendship bracelets), and lanyard (yes, I can still start the box stitch).

I got into modern calligraphy and lettering in 2017 after my now husband, Josh, proposed. I had seen pictures of handwritten wedding signage and, like I said, was always interested in different handwriting styles, so I thought, “hey, I should learn this skill to do my own wedding.” At the time I was a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in a public school district. I had it in the back of my mind that I couldn’t do that job forever, but I definitely didn’t think this is where I’d end up. I was living in Hoboken at the time, and a childhood friend asked me to write her nephew’s name on an ornament and also Cricut his name onto a toy (yes, I have a Cricut; no, I do not use it, we don’t get along). Pretty soon more people started reaching out to have me create for them, and not just create but get paid for it. It started out small, a welcome sign here and there, a poem, and then began to grow. I decided to make an Instagram account and called it Use Your Words, a play on what my “day job” was: helping kids with big feelings regulate and learn social skills.

In August 2024 I had my son, Austin, and by November I was having major anxiety at the thought of going back to work. I had the goal of taking this full time, but between having a newborn at home and a 3.5 year old daughter, it was all just a lot. I kept pushing back my return-to-work date to give myself more time to grow the business, and in summer 2025 I officially resigned to take Use Your Words full time.

So what exactly do I do? If you ask my daughter, she’ll say “mommy writes people’s names,” and if I tell someone I’m a calligrapher they say “oh, like envelopes?” I do not do envelopes. I tried it, and it’s just not for me (but I can refer you to calligra-friends who do!). I specialize in day-of wedding signage, on-site calligraphy and engraving, and personalized keepsakes that work as gifts for others or a “treat yourself” moment (insert Donna and Tom from Parks and Rec). I live for a standout mirror seating chart moment, but I also enjoy the beauty in handwritten escort cards and other wedding signs. Over the last year I started doing live event calligraphy for brands, private parties, and weddings, and wow, is it fun! The joy in seeing people’s reactions to a live calligraphy or engraving experience is just so incredibly rewarding. It’s also nice to get out of the house. Going from a school full of coworker friends to being a solopreneur was hard, so I really love the on-site, in-person side of this work.

When I’m not working I’m likely color-coding something (you should see my closet), playing mahjong, reading my book club’s latest pick, or sneaking in a slice of pizza (or three). I also love mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate milkshakes.