Marisa Jackson is the Owner of MarisaMade located in St. Albans, West Virginia. Jackson is a mother of three boys – one who has special needs, she’s a wife, calligrapher, wedding and event stationery designer, watercolor artist and owner of MarisaMade LLC. MarisaMade is a design studio specializing in calligraphy, graphic design watercolor prints, classes, gifts and advocating for special needs children.
The mission behind MarisaMade is to use the art for advocacy to create beautiful and unique products that speak to people in a creative way and with each purchase, help raise money for the International FOXG1 Foundation to research a cure for FOXG1 Syndrome.
Jackson talked with Jim Matuga, host of The Positively West Virginia Podcast, about her business, her excitement for the holidays and her advice to young entrepreneurs.
What is your 30-second pitch for MarisaMade?
“I am a stationer who specializes in watercolor, illustration, graphic design and calligraphy,” said Jackson.
What is the thing you’re most excited about for your organization right now?
“I am looking forward to growing the calligraphy community. I am part of an international calligraphy group and we go
every year to conferences. I love bringing that back here to West Virginia and showing people and teaching them things that I have learned. I am also really excited about this year’s Christmas ornament. Each year I try to come up with something new and different. I am looking forward to the holidays and right now I am working on a collection of mountain paintings,” said Jackson.
What is your worst business moment?
“When I was first starting out doing this business, a lot of artists I think they undervalue their talent because it comes so natural to them so they are willing to do things that maybe they are afraid to ask for more money and they do it on the cheap. My worst business moment was when the client was a friend of mine but I had agreed to do wedding stationery for $200 which included printing and it was terrible. I remember doing it and all the hours it took for me to put into this project, days, coordinating with the printer and having to skip on the qualities so that I could meet her budget of $200 which is insane. Finishing it, it looked great but I said I will never do that again. The take away from this was that your time is worth more than anything, you should charge for the time not so much the end product,” said Jackson.
Jackson was a guest on The Positively West Virginia Podcast. Listen to her full podcast here.
PWV QUICK BITS | MARISAMADE 
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- PIECE OF ADVICE: “Take yourself seriously,” advised Jackson.