Category: Human Interest

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Inky Brittany celebrates 10 years of graphic recording business

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that saying has never been more true than in the work of Inky Brittany. 

Brittany Curry is a Savannah local who has been using her artistic abilities to document and breakdown speeches, meetings, and even memories through graphic recording. 

Graphic recording combines listening and live drawing to map out the key takeaways of an event. 

Curry says, “people love to see their own thoughts and ideas come to life in front of their eyes… it’s been a very powerful way to help people connect with the content of a meeting.” 

Curry started drawing and doodling as a child, passing the time she spent at her family’s dry cleaning business. She discovered graphic recording in 2012 and then launched her LLC three years later in 2015. Now, she’s celebrating a decade of that business.

Over the past 10 years, Curry has worked with organizations and groups across the county from Visit to Savannah, to Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson. She even collaborated on a project with the Georgia department of education on visual learning. 

“It’s the difference between sliding you 10 pages of minutes and saying read this, vs one visual document that everyone can see and get the big picture instantly,” says Curry, when asked how graphic recording helps people understand more.

The work has changed over the past decade… from live meetings to virtual ones…

“Over the last 5 years… zoom calls… I take the information and translate it in to these fun visual graphics,” says Curry.

And from paper and markers to digital drawing…

Curry says, “The transition to being able to work digitally has opened up so many doors… it’s very time consuming, but it’s a product that can live longer and go farther.”

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is Brittany’s love for art. 

In fact, Brittany still creates work for fun when an idea strikes.. such as this piece that details Greg Parker’s journey, which she presented to the local businessman 

Or one of her favorite projects, a surprise banner for the Savannah Greek festival 

We asked Brittany to recap one of our recent health breaks, about stress management tips to get an inside look at her process.

As I reflect on seeing her talent live, Curry is reflecting on the past 10 years with gratitude 

“For this 10 year moment, I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me here locally.”

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Patti Pots finds light in the darkness

Colorfully painted with flowers terracotta pots on display at a local farmer's market

Patti Smith is a local small business owner and the namesake of Patti Pots. Her business? Painting Patti Pots of course! Patti Pots are terra-cotta pots that have found new life after being covered in unique and colorful designs to bring a fresh twist in to the garden. Originally, Patti started painting pots for her own garden but decided to turn the hobby in to a business after friends and family started asking to buy them.

Small Business owner Patti stands behind her decorative pots display

In 2011, Patti’s close friend, Terri, passed away from breast cancer. Patti, pictured above at her booth at the Marigold Farmer’s Market in Winterville, Georgia, was devastated and was looking for a way to channel her grief when she began painting. That is how Patti Pots was born. (Photo by Victoria Eymard on Oct. 2, 2021)

Patti began finding old terra-cotta pots and refurbishing them for her garden by painting them with patterns, flowers, and animals, all in bright colors. The process of creating something new from something formerly looked over and discarded was cathartic work for Patti. (Photo by
Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

Display of hand painter terracotta pots

At first, Patti’s painted pots were just put to use in her own garden, but over time friends and family came to admire them and would ask Patti if they could purchase them. That’s when she realized she might’ve stumbled on to a good idea. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

Hand painted terracotta pots on display at a local farmer's market.

Four years ago, Patti decided to leave her job as a paralegal and pursue her pot painting business full-time. “I was divorced, my son was grown with kids of his own, so I figured if I didn’t do it then I would never do it.” says Patti. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

At first, Patti was selling her pots out of the trunk of her car. “My family thought I was crazy.” she says. But now, you can find Patti’s Pots every Saturday morning at the Marigold market in Winterville. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

Patti, pictured here conversing with Quinn O’Brien, feels that her business was really inspired by her late friend Terri. “I wanted to call it Terri Pots, but Patti Pots just sounded better,” Patti jokes. O’Brien, a patron at the booth, remarked that Patti could incorporate her friend’s name by using the phrase “Terri-cotta” instead of terra-cotta. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in
Winterville, GA)

“Grief is like a wave, it’s like standing with your back to the waves and not knowing when that big one is going to hit, but it’s going to hit when you least expect it and you can let it drown you or you can ride it and that’ll bring you back to shore.”

Patti Smith

Patti, pictured here, shares her work and her story as an example of how something beautiful and full of joy can be created out of tragedy. “Grief is like a wave, it’s like standing with your back to the waves and not knowing when that big one is going to hit, but it’s going to hit when you least expect it and you can let it drown you or you can ride it and that’ll bring you back to
shore,” Patti Smith. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

Patti Pots can be found Saturdays at the Marigold Farmer’s Market from 10am-2pm or on Facebook at Patti Pots. (Photo by Victoria Eymard, Oct 2, 2021 in Winterville, GA)

Article and photos by: Victoria Eymard