About TCIS
Hi my name is Chan, and I am the Founder of The Coffee Ink Studio. I’m so incredibly happy you’re here!
Let’s get the basics out of the way first: I'm a 30-something bookish creative from New York, now calling Chicago home. I’ve always been an artist in one form or another — drawing, painting, researching niche topics for fun. I geek out over everything from ceramics and genetics to fountain pens, the Harlem Renaissance (my favorite historical era), and the evolution of graffiti as a legitimate art form. My curiosity rarely sits still — but you’re not here for my entire life story, so let’s talk about **The Coffee Ink Studio**.
In a few words: I want to tell good stories, make bold strokes, and drink excellent coffee. If that’s all you needed to hear, I hope you find something here that makes you smile and feel seen. If you want to go deeper, keep reading.
Why Coffee Ink?
As far as the company name, I am in fact OBSESSED with coffee (and need it to function most days). Coffee is *essential* (no exaggeration), and ink has always felt like home — from tattoo lines to sketchbooks, ink, that is a favorite medium to work in. The name is a reflection of how I move through the world. Honestly between the tattoos, graffiti, and random splotches of color everywhere we're all inked up over here
About the Studio
Yes, this is a Black woman-owned shop — one that started simply because I wanted to put my art on things I love: mugs, books, blankets, and the quiet, comforting moments they’re part of. I deeply love our people. And I know there’s no one “right” way to be Black — or creative — or soft — or brilliant. Like Carlton Banks once said, "Black isn't something I'm trying to be, it's what I am." That line lives rent-free in my brain.
That’s how The Coffee Ink Studio was born. I wanted a place to pour all of this into — the stories, the ideas, the art, the joy — and give it form. Sometimes it takes shape as a product that brings a spark to someone’s day, other times as a full creative exploration inside my *Create by Chapters* project (put your email down below if you want to know more). But no matter the medium, the mission is the same: tell good stories, make bold strokes, and drink great coffee while doing it.
While some things here might be cozy or comforting, there’s nothing quiet or watered down about what I do. I’m Black, I’m a woman, I’m weird, I’m loud when I care deeply, and I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like I had to shrink that down. Not anymore. This is a space where I show up fully — not to perform or educate, but to create what feels real, and make space for others who want to do the same.
What This Space Is
Truthfully? This shop is me choosing to take up space even when I’m not sure I’m saying the “right” thing. I didn’t always feel like my voice was smart enough, eloquent enough, or loud enough to matter. But I’m here now. And I’m learning to be loud in my own way.
This is a space for me (and hopefully you) to show up fully — Black, quirky, emotional, bookish, joyful, and human. No performative coolness. No shrink-to-fit. Just art, comfort, story, and soul.
I believe in the beauty of the everyday, the richness of nuance, and the audacity of making things that matter just because they matter to *you*. I believe that being “emotionally invested” isn’t a flaw — it’s a superpower. And I believe in putting that kind of passion into everything I make, whether it's a sweatshirt or a story arc.
So thank you for stopping by. The shop might be a little rough around the edges — it’s a work in progress, just like me — but you’re welcome to grow with me. The next chapter’s already underway, and I can’t wait to create it together.