Interview with Letterpress Artist Lindsay Schmittle
We asked Lindsay Schmittle a few questions about her life as the owner and artist behind Gingerly Press. Lindsay is known for her colorful and modern letterpress design inspired by the outdoors.
Lindsay Schmittle (Gingerly Press)
Tell us about your business!
Lindsay: My business, Gingerly Press, is a letterpress design & print studio dedicated to the old-time art of printing with antique metal & wood type. I create my own line of colorful & geometric art prints, cards, notebooks, recipe cards and gift tags inspired by my adventures in the outdoors. I hope my work inspires people to connect with their natural surroundings and bring mindfulness into their every day lives.
I also design and print custom stationery, art prints, business cards, product packing and wedding invites!
I'll be moving my studio to Pittsburgh (the Lower Lawrenceville neighborhood) this August and I'm pumped to launch hands-on workshop offerings to share the love of letterpress in my new larger space!
What accomplishment are you celebrating right now?
Lindsay: A project I'm really proud of and hold close to my heart is The Printed Walk: Georgia to Maine, a letterpress-printed abstract art chronicle of my 2017 thru-hike of The Appalachian Trail. There are 22 poster prints in the series, each one representing a 100-mile section of trail and inspired by a moment of beauty I experienced within that section.
It was a massive project spanning over 2.5 years of my life, beginning with a Kickstarter campaign in fall of 2016 and officially wrapping up this past January with the completion of the handmade clamshell boxes that house full sets of the art print series.
The Printed Walk has toured to a handful of galleries across the country and has plans to travel for more in the coming year. The project has also opened the door for me to teach traveling workshops and give both art and backpacking lectures across the country (and Canada!).
The Printed Walk: Georgia to Maine
What keeps you motivated?
Lindsay: Keeping the antiquated process of handset letterpress printing alive, but making it relatable to modern day folks. Also, the power of the press, freedom of speech, and inspiring others to live mindfully, celebrating the small beauties surrounding them daily.
What's one tip you want to share with other entrepreneurs?
Lindsay: Oh man, soooo many things here! I'd say: stay positive, don't take things too personally, and keep moving forward, one small step at a time.
I had a lot of thinking time while hiking for 5.5 months, and I noticed a parallel between solo-hiking a long-distance trail and starting up a business by myself. There is a huge learning curve, there are so many obstacles that you will encounter along the way, and it feels like it will take forever til you get the hang of it. As a hiker, I had to learn to laugh off and learn from unfortunate situations like weeks of rain, falling on my face, swarming mosquitos, and running out of water. If I didn't, I'd just be miserable, blinded by my own grief, missing all the small beauties right in front of my eyes, and most likely not making my mileage goal for the day.
The same goes for running a business as a solopreneur: if you let the silly & frustrating things get you down, taking them too personally, you'll miss some of the beautiful opportunities stemming from learning from your past mistakes. If a launch doesn't go as planned, don't cry about it, get off your butt and figure out WHY your project didn't launch as you expected, so your next launch can be even better. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other every day!
What's your favorite app or resource of the moment?
Lindsay: Adobe Lightroom, Planoly, and Shipstation!
What are you listening to lately?
Lindsay: Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher & Zero Waste Home book by Bea Johnson
What are you crushing on?
Lindsay: Ellen Rutt & Lisa Congdon—both living the fine artist life!
What inspirational words resonate with you recently?
Lindsay: Breathe. As a solopreneur, it's easy to be working working working all the time. Sometimes I need to remind myself to stop and breathe, and maybe lay with my feet up on the wall for a bit after standing in the studio all day!
Where can we find you online?
Lindsay: Scoot over to my website (gingerlypress.com) and pick any printed product that's not a Printed Walk poster and receive 40% off your order with the code LADYBOSS at check out! You can also find me on Instagram (@GingerlyPress).