Mapping Memories and Stories

Maps can reveal so much—about a place, an experience, and even about you. It’s not just a street corner or an old church, it’s what happened there and what you have experienced. It’s memory and history, discovery and loss. Maps are how we find our way through a new town but also how we discover the place we thought we knew. A good map design can make a person feel more connected to a place and can encourage them to explore.

Steady Hand Maps is the brainchild of crazed mapmaker, Jen Urso, specializing in custom, hand drawn paper maps and map design that reveals stuff you never even knew you wanted to know about your place.

Where do you want to go?

What kind of experience do you want to have?

Maybe you don’t know, and that’s the thrill of looking at a paper map. It’s all the possibilities that can unfold.

More on who's behind Steady Hand Maps
  • Mini Gift Map

    Imagine giving your loved one a unique, personalized paper map commemorating your anniversary, the location where you first met or your first home! Mini gift maps like this one make a great, one-of-a-kind gift. Starting at only $200, we'll pick a focal point, talk about some key details and within a week you'll have a special gift without any worries about shipping or supply chains. I provide you with high-res files to print or I can provide an archival paper print for a small extra fee.

    Contact Me Today

  • Life Map

    There’s no gift as unique as one that illustrates someone’s life. We’ll work together to go over a timeline and discuss some of the most unique moments in your map recipient’s life. This is a great, one-of-a-kind anniversary gift, engagement gift, birthday gift or other special occasion gift that has brought many to tears! I can also print your map for a small extra fee up to 13"x19" or coordinate quality printing of your map.

    Check Out My Prices

Mapping Hurricane Helene

Mapping Hurricane Helene

February 21, 2025

A comprehensive Hurricane Helene Map for the non-profit Footprint Project put the extent of this disaster in perspective.

Why Do We Make Maps?

Why Do We Make Maps?

July 16, 2024

We make maps of places we don’t know or places we know but want to know better, or places we know but want others to come find.

  • Custom City Maps

    Make your city stand out with a custom city map highlighting the best, the weirdest, the most unique and the most interesting parts of your town.

    View City Maps

  • Personalized Paper Map Gifts

    A personalized map gift is one of the best ways you can share and revisit memories together. A personalized map design puts all the pieces together.

    Find Out How I Do It

  • Conceptual Map Illustration

    A map isn’t always a way to find an address or locate a restaurant. There are so many ways of finding ourselves and figuring out how the world around us is situated.

    View Examples

My Latest Work

Check out some of my favorite custom map design projects.

Venice, CA Street Map

Venice, CA Street Map

Siasconset Wedding Map

Siasconset Wedding Map

SHMap A Day Maps 2022

SHMap A Day Maps 2022

Seattle Memories Map

Seattle Memories Map

SHMap SHtore

Buy some SHMaps!

  • Hands Off Protest Signs Map: Voices from the 50501 Movement $20
  • Endangered Plants of Arizona Map $20
  • 52 Little Maps: Mapping Minutiae and the Mundane $30
  • 50501 Protest Signs Map: FREE DOWNLOAD $0
  • Steady Hand Maps Reviews

    See what clients think about my work

    My Favorite Cartographer

    September 11, 2025

    Jen is seriously the most inspired creative map-maker I have ever seen. I am a big fan of maps, and I’ve seen a lot of really cool maps, but Jen’s maps are different. She has an incredible ability to take stories, and memories, and moments, and weave them together with locations and researched information to create a truly unique work of art.

    I gave Jen a spreadsheet with information about 10 different locations linked to my sister and her fiancée’s life together. She took this spreadsheet of information + a few stories about their life and created the most beautiful detailed meaningful personal map I’ve ever seen. We are giving it to my sister & her soon-to-be husband this weekend as a wedding gift and I can’t wait to see their reaction. A million thanks to Jen for creating the best wedding gift ever!! 💜

    Amoryn

    Awesome wedding map and drawings

    September 5, 2025

    We started off just wanting a map for our wedding invitation, but liked it so much, we had Jen design a whole bunch of other stuff for our wedding, too! Everybody loved it.

    Mike H

    Creative artist - incredible final products!

    August 17, 2025

    Jen made images for our wedding invitations and also produced a fun and functional city map that we published on our wedding website and will print for our guests.

    The images for our invitations were made very tastefully, she worked with us to capture the style we’re aiming for with our wedding themes.

    The map that Jen generated is excellent and participating in the creative process with her was lots of fun. She met with us to understand our personalities and what we were looking to accomplish for us and our guests. Then she drew a map with neat and customized images that captured both perfectly.

    Highly recommend for custom art – thank you Jen!

    Brad

    Local neighbourhood map from the other side of the world

    May 8, 2025

    I found Jen on Google from the other side of the world and had a wonderful experience working with her from day one.

    She was prompt in responding to questions and made sure we had an opportunity to meet virtually so that we could discuss what I wanted.

    She was very patient when I was slow to reply, and very accommodating when making changes that I requested.

    Her artwork was beautiful and detailed, and exceeded expectations.

    We now have a memento of our first home and neighbourhood that we will treasure forever.

    Jen, thank you again!

    Hui-li

    Maine wedding map

    November 25, 2024

    Thank you Jen for the incredible job on the map you made! You were so easy to work with and we love the final creation! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a beautifully designed map. It has tons of details and will also be a handy map of the area for our guests!

    Caitlin

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    Let's talk about what you have in mind for your custom map project