This was a beautiful long letter which also gave me the opportunity to write in two different styles as the letter includes some of her mother's words.

I tried to create two different styles. For Maya Angelou's voice, I researched examples of her own handwriting:

she used long descenders, a slight slant, and some of her letters have a very rounded style. I wanted the script to show pride and determination, as well as love, compassion, and a joyful spirit open to life's adventures.

For her mother's voice, I used a slanted script (as with quotations), more traditional with the use of flourishes.

The letter was too long to fit on a single page but I wanted to have it on a single sheet. I tried at first to fit it on the drawing of a house (the letter speaks to the meaning of home) but I wasn't happy with the result.

That is when I had the concept of a card that opens as a double front door to a house. 

What a fun project! I learned so much about style, voice, presentation, and how ideas can evolve and take you to a place you had no idea you were heading to.