We recently had the chance to connect with Stefanie Anderson and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Stefanie, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
As a working mom of 3 (7, 10 and an 18 year old who is away at college), my days are pretty “normal”. During the week, my days start around 6:30am. I wake up and get my 7 and 10 year old up and motivate them to get ready for the day. While they’re doing that, I go through my morning routine of fixing coffee and getting myself ready for work, or just the day in general (if I happen to be off that day). I do some quick chores and tend to our 5 cats before we head out at 7:15am.
I drop my girls off at school, then head to work, where I’m a professional cake decorator (I’m actually a chef by trade…fun fact, lol). I put in my days work, then I’m out in time to pick my girls up from school.
For the next few hours, it’s a pretty standard routine of fixing snacks, cleaning up, cooking dinner, getting my girls to go through their nightly routines, and doing whatever other random things that need to be done before their 9:30pm bedtime.
Once they’re in bed, I typically spend the next few hours at my desk working on anything from butterfly frames, to small oddity trinkets, to statement pieces. I love to put on a movie and then just zone out making things. Next thing I know, it’ll be close to 1am before I tell myself I need to get to bed.
That’s my “normal” day. Although, from time to time, I like to make it a point to go out and explore to look for bones and such to use in up and coming art projects. Also a normal activity, right??
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Stefanie! I’m a mother to 3 children (7, 10, and 18, and all Pisces). I’m a chef by trade, and currently a professional cake decorator by day, and a witchy oddity artist by night. I hail from Central Florida, where I’ve lived for the better part of 35 years.
I created Eclectic Curios. I specialize in custom witchy tools and decor, and oddities too!
I’ve always been a bit of an odd duck growing up, having different interests from most of the kids I knew. I always considered myself artsy too and was found a lot drawing or just doodling to pass time. For me, drawing was an escape into fantasy, and it was a place I preferred to be. I also was very big into movies, music and video games, with horror and rock being my genres of choice. All of these helped influence who I am today.
I started really putting my art out into the world in 2020 when Covid completely flipped my career path on end. I was working at a high end resort, running restaurants and the property’s banquet scene. I was invested in my career, and performing very well. Once Covid appeared, it shut the industry down, and I was let go along with most of the property’s culinary staff. I ended up taking an extended time off to reevaluate what I was going to be doing with my career from then on.
I joined a witchy trade group on Facebook because I thought the concept was fun. It started as trading simple items in the community, and then I happen to stumble into a trade agreement that called for some artwork from me, a woodburned divination board to be specific. I created/traded a piece that ended up blowing up, and opening more opportunities for more trading. Next thing I knew, I had created dozens of woodburned pieces, as well as custom resin pieces, and even some oddity pieces. I was doing something that kept me busy, fulfilled, and was making people happy.
After a while, I was being asked to create custom pieces for purchase, and this is where I decided to really take this seriously. I created Eclectic Curios, because I wasn’t doing just one thing…I wasn’t making just woodburned pieces, or just oddities…I was creating anything I felt inspired or called to make. I was using anything, from rocks and sticks in my yards, to bones I find while out exploring, to thrifted items that I upcycle and give new life to. I’m always looking for things that make me excited to create with, and I utilize styles and techniques that just happen to tickle my fancy at the time. I love creating things that are different, but uniquely “mine”.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents. Maybe it’s cliché, but it’s true.
My dad spent 20+ years in the Army, so my entire childhood was spent watching him get up at the same time, every morning, going through a specific routine of getting on his uniform, taking special care of having everything just where it needed to be. His shoes/boots/brass were always polished, his uniform was always starched and crisp and clean. He worked in supply, so his organizational skills were next level. He knew what was where at any given time. His work ethic was something to be admired.
He was also deployed oversees a handful of times, and a few were before my time (he met my mom while he was deployed in Vienam). While he was deployed, my mom took over the role of father and mother to me and my two older brothers. She worked full time, and then raised us all on her own while my dad was away. She worked, cooked, cleaned, tended to us and the household in general. She did it seemingly effortlessly, and I aspire to have the strength she did/does.
Looking back, I realize just how much their work ethic influenced me. I always strive to do the best in whatever I do and to work organized, quickly and efficiently, and to commit and not give up or walk away.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t ever let bullies tear you down and make you think you’re less than perfect.
You’re different, and is just one thing that makes you awesome. You make the world cooler just by being a part of it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
For sure, hahaha. It’s taken me years to grow into the person that I am today. I’m not going to hide it anymore.
I spent so long feeling like I couldn’t really express myself because the things I took interest in weren’t things that a lot of people were into, or least open about, especially at that time.
Now here I am, a 44 and socially awkward person who loves horror, rock music, cons, and the macabre. I decorate my house to reflect that, I dress to relect that, and my art reflects that too.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m doing what I’m passionate about. I didn’t settle into desk jobs or anything like that, because honestly, I can’t stand that kind of work. Based off history, I was expected to join the military, but it was something else that I just didn’t want.
When I took my first food industry job, it just clicked. I quickly realized that it was something that I would be happy to spend my years in. It was another means of creative expression that was high energy, fast paced, and honestly, a bit chaotic, and I grew to thrive on all of that. I’ve been in the industry now for over 20 years.
Art is something that I’ve loved since I was a kid, so following that path too just made sense. I consider myself lucky to be able to pursue a professional path in both.
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