Lisa Riggin

Writer for multiple occasions

Lisa Riggin has been writing greeting cards her entire life.

“I have a little card that my mom saved from when I was seven years old,” Lisa said. “When I told people I’d gotten the job at Hallmark, they were like, ‘Yeah? No surprise there.’”

As a senior writer in Hallmark’s famed Collaboratory, her creativity has been nurtured, challenged and, expertly honed.

“The Collaboratory is kind of kooky. It has cubicles, but we’ve made it as un-cubicle-like as possible. It’s a very open, very back-and-forth kind of place,” she explained. Crossword puzzles, reading, mind-clearing walks, meditating on the flow of a fountain, and keeping abreast of pop culture prove to be an effective fuel for her process.

Born and raised in Clear Lake, Iowa, with seven siblings, Lisa farms her rich life experiences for inspiration. Her ability to pull from these experiences creates greeting cards which are honest, poignant and full of life.

“Throughout my life, I’ve often felt that I have been a collector of experiences. Not just my own experiences, but other people’s that I hear about, too,” she said. “I call on those collected impressions when I am writing to try to tap into the emotion that we all experience at some time in our lives.”

This empathy and understanding of the human condition make her a natural fit for Hallmark’s Journeys line of encouragement cards, which “address real-life struggles and triumphs we all go through,” Lisa explained.

“We all want to reach out to those we care about when they need a little encouragement, but we don’t always do it for fear of saying the wrong thing. These cards will help communicate our support,” she said. “They go beyond the usual ‘thinking of you’ or ‘get well’ and address specific issues.”

For the Journeys line, Lisa wrote two cards relating to miscarriage. The first is a sympathy card and the second offers support from someone who has experienced the pain of miscarriage herself, as Lisa has.

“Getting a card that names what you are going through honors that grief and can help you move through it,” she said.

In creating the card line, the Collaboratory writers explored supportive writing that spoke plainly about real-life issues.

“I thought, ‘what would I want to hear in these situations?’ The plain language doesn’t get in the way. These cards say good things in a simple and beautiful manner,” she said.

Leading a simple, sustainable lifestyle is important to Lisa and her family. She is studying herbalism and is actively involved in community recycling and environmental awareness initiatives. She enjoys spending time with her husband and son, particularly hiking and sailing.

For Lisa, her work is more about the journey than the destination.

“My favorite part of the job is writing, especially at those times when I’m totally focused on it and everything else slips away,” she said.