Calligrapher, engraving artist, painter, and educator, Alyssa Ahrens creates meaningful keepsakes through personalization, enhancing guest experience for live events across brand activations, weddings, events, and workshops.
Although Ahrens is left-handed, she taught herself calligraphy and later transformed that skill into a business by entering the live event artist market.
From working with brands including Pink, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora, Guess, Kendra Scott, and many more, Ahrens brings a level of intimate conversations through live personalized art. She takes letters and turns them into live representations of guests, capturing their personalities and stories.
Most recently, Ahrens worked with Rare Beauty for their launch event at Ulta Beauty, live-engraving products. I was able to speak with Alyssa about her journey, in addition to her experience engraving at the Rare Beauty x Ulta Beauty event:
Style Cartel: Can you share what drew you to calligraphy, engraving, and painting, and how that passion led you into live event work and teaching workshops?
Alyssa: Naturally, being a creative person, I was always looking for an outlet and as a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to find a hobby that I could easily do at home. At the time, I was seeing so many videos of people writing with beautiful nib pens and ink and quickly became obsessed with the art of calligraphy. It was so satisfying to watch someone place ink strokes on a page and effortlessly turn it into timeless and beautiful words of art. I
decided to pick up some calligraphy tools and get to work. My first challenge with learning calligraphy was being left-handed. At the time, I couldn’t find many left-handed calligraphers to refer to. After so many years in this calligraphy business, I’ve learned that right-handed calligraphers and left-handed calligraphers have very different ways of executing this work. As a lefty, I quickly found what worked for me and from then on, I
practiced nonstop! I loved calligraphy so much that I made it my mission to teach everyone the way I learned, which gave me – sort of a leg up being left-handed! I was able to provide that direct support to lefties who thought they wouldn’t be able to do the craft as easily as right-handed artists.
After years of teaching calligraphy, I wanted to expand my business into the live event artist market. This is a very niche market in the art world. It requires you to have a higher level of expertise in your craft while being public facing. In this field, your work must always reflect and align with the high standards of the clientele and brands you’re working with. Being an on-site event artist is my favorite part of this business. I get to work alongside many luxury brands for brand activations as well as weddings and events to provide an amazing and fun interactive guest experience they will never forget!
This line of work can be very intimidating for some due to its fast-paced nature and full performance mode for the duration of the event as well as working with very expensive products, so when you work in this field, you have to not only be experienced but you have to be able to problem solve and work quickly all while maintaining the highest quality of work. Working live in front of guests may not be for everyone, but it is an
arena where I thrive and have found success. I have met many wonderful people from all over the world through these experiences, as well as made many amazing contacts and partnerships in the industry.
Style Cartel: What does your creative preparation look like leading up to a live event?
Alyssa: For any live event, my goal is to translate the brand’s identity and voice into an interactive and memorable guest experience. There are a couple of things I need to know first. What the goal of the event is, what type of products would I be personalizing, what the guest volume expectation is, and any time constraints that I may have. I would then create mockups for the client’s approval so that we are all on the same page regarding our
shared creative and realistic expectations. During this process, we discuss the style of personalization, whether the client has specific guidelines on their preference for specific types of scripts and font styles, and what can feasibly be produced given the space and amount of guests. I would test the products beforehand for layout and ink or paint dry time. I take into consideration how much time is needed per guest for each personalization. I would also discuss any signage or forms that may be needed for guests to help explain the process to avoid any confusion during the activation and ensure a smooth queue system for drop off and pick up. Once that is complete, I start my tool preparations. I make sure that I pack all the necessary tools and materials for the
event.
Style Cartel: Working across brand activations, weddings, events, and teaching workshops, what are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of creating live, personalized art?
Alyssa: I think that creating personalized art is exactly that. Personal. It is intimate in the sense of creating art directly in front of your guest that is specifically for them. I am then watching that guest engage directly with me when they see their name beautifully written on their newly purchased product. You are turning their product into a keepsake while interacting with them. You are not simply producing art; you’re creating moments and memories. From a brand perspective, this is great because it leaves your client wanting to come back for more. I do think there are more rewarding aspects to this job than there are challenging ones but sometimes in this fast paced, and often high-stress level events, challenges will arise.
You need to be in full performance mode for the duration of the event, which usually can be anywhere from two hours to sometimes over eight hours. Most of the time, you are also working with very exclusive products, so when you work in this field, you must not only be experienced but you must be able to problem solve and work quickly all while maintaining the highest quality of work. Mistakes are not an option, so there can be weight with the responsibility of success.
Style Cartel: You were invited to engrave live at the Rare Beauty launch event at Ulta Beauty. Can you share how the opportunity came about?
Alyssa: I was contacted by a brand representative through social media, which was such an exciting moment! I have worked in the past with Rare Beauty, and they had seen my previous work and felt it aligned with Rare Beauty’s brand and vision for their new launch at Ulta Beauty. From there, we discussed the programming and products that were the focus for the event.
Style Cartel: What was it like collaborating with Rare Beauty on such a meaningful brand moment?
Alyssa: Collaborating with Rare Beauty was truly special. The Rare Beauty team designed a beautiful experience that felt inclusive and intentional. I genuinely believe in these products and use them in my everyday routine; so to be able to personalize them for other enthusiasts was truly a dream.
Style Cartel: As you engraved products for guests, what moments of interaction stood out to you during the Rare Beauty event, and was there a moment that stayed with you afterward?
Alyssa: Selena Gomez was in attendance, which was definitely a “Pinch Me” moment! You see what I did there? Seeing her interact with the team and the guests was unforgettable. Seeing her present, engaged and proud, reinforced the authenticity that Rare Beauty represents and it was inspiring to witness this firsthand.
Style Cartel: How did the Rare Beauty x Ulta Beauty event differ from other brand activations you have worked on?
Alyssa: Rare Beauty is rooted in authenticity, mental health advocacy and self-acceptance. The event didn’t just feel like a product launch; it felt like it was purpose driven. Seeing Selena Gomez present and interacting genuinely with guests added a level of authenticity that can’t be manufactured. It was much more heartfelt.
Style Cartel: Live engraving, particularly on beauty products, requires speed, precision, and personal connection. How do you approach creating something meaningful for each guest in real time?
Alyssa: Live engraving is a unique blend of artistry and human connection. Before I begin, I always take a moment to connect with each guest. When there isn’t a set list of engraving options, some guests may feel unsure about what to choose. A brief conversation helps guide them and makes the experience feel more personal rather
than just a simple customization, even in a fast-paced environment.
For this event, the brand chose to keep engravings minimal, focusing on first names, short nicknames, or initials due to the limited space on the product itself.
In terms of speed and precision, that comes from preparation and experience. Having previously worked with Rare Beauty allowed me to feel confident with their products and materials. Additionally, years of engraving on a variety of surfaces have strengthened my technique, making it easier to deliver clean, consistent results efficiently.
Style Cartel: From brand activations to weddings, your work often becomes a keepsake. Why do you think personal details resonate so deeply with people today?
Alyssa: Personal details resonate strongly today because people are seeking meaningful connections. In a fast-paced, digital world where things feel temporary, live personalization offers something tangible and lasting. It transforms an item into a piece that carries memory and intention. Personalization also helps individuals feel
seen and valued. Whether it’s a name, date, or meaningful word, it captures a specific moment in time. These small details can create a powerful emotional impact by highlighting individuality in a world that often feels mass-produced. Ultimately, keepsakes matter because they preserve memories which give guests something meaningful to hold onto long after the event has passed.
Style Cartel: Looking ahead, how do you see your creative practice evolving and your collaborations with clients growing?
Alyssa: Looking ahead, I see my work continuing to grow in impact. I hope to expand beyond traditional live art activations by creating more immersive and customized experiences that feel fully aligned with each brand or event.
As clients place more value on meaningful engagement, my goal is to be involved earlier in the planning process to help guide personalization ideas that fit into the overall vision. I also plan to explore new materials and techniques while maintaining the quality and attention to detail that defines my work.
As I build stronger relationships with clients, my aim is to create long term partnerships based on trust and collaboration, delivering experiences that are both visually appealing and memorable for all involved.
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