We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Blanco a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
All growing up I watched how both my parents worked multiple jobs at the same time. I remember that even when they lacked transportation or there were poor weather conditions, they still figured out how to get to work. I observed in admiration how hard-working they both were no matter the conditions and no matter their obstacles; which for a long time included not speaking English. They worked extremely hard for my siblings and I and now I get to do that for my kids doing what I love most – art!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am extremely blessed to do work in what I love and that’s art! Growing up I loved to draw and anything arts and crafts. Now as an Artist I get to create, share my love for art and make a life for my kids doing it!
It was actually in the middle of a very difficult time in my life that I discovered my love for Crochet. I was frequently in the doctor’s office for chest pain. (Which was later found a result of stress and anxiety) I was in an unhealthy relationship. And to add to all of that I found out that I was pregnant and it was high risk. I was mentally drained, physically exhausted and emotionally consumed for months.
Then one day, I decided I wanted to crochet baby items for when my baby was born. I had done so for my daughter and wanted to do the same for my son!
So I did and shared my creations on social media. Suddenly I had people requesting I make items for them too. One order turned to two. Two turned to a few. And because crocheting was helping my mental health, which in turn helped my physical health and my pregnancy, I thought why not!
3 years later I am a proud Latina single mom with a growing crochet business that has shipped items into multiple states in the U.S! I now crochet all kinds of crochet items, not just baby items. My most popular items include crochet bags, stuffed animals, movie/cartoon characters, and holiday items! I share my
art by participating in local small business events and have even been invited to participate in bigger events like the Latino Arts Festival of 2023. I also continue to share my creations on social media and my new online store.
The journey hasn’t been easy but through the struggles and my storms my business and love for crochet have helped teach me strength, perseverance and confidence.
I have been able to build my brand and a business while taking my kids everywhere I go. So that they, like I once did when I was younger, can watch mommy work hard and push through anything to give them the life and future they deserve! Hoping that in turn they learn that when they grow up they can push and grow through anything life throws at them too.
I am also very excited to share that my love for art has expanded! As I continue to build and share my passion for crochet, I am now also investing time and love into tattooing! This journey started in November of 2022 and I absolutely love it! I am currently focused on mastering multiple styles of blackwork but plan on also adding color and other styles into my portfolio soon!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back.. gratitude, mental health and creativity have all had the biggest impact on my journey. First and foremost, living in gratitude has had a highly positive effect in my life all around. Learning to appreciate the good in an environment where it feels like you’re drowning in the negative is extremely difficult but strongly impactful. I would go as far as to say it’s necessary in your every day life. Gratitude has allowed me to celebrate the present and magnify the positive emotions. It also has gotten me through the days where I didn’t even want to get out of bed. It has given me strength to keep pushing and be happy for life!
Mental health is also extremely important as an artist, as a business owner, as a mom, as everything! Before 2019 I had no idea what the importance of mental health was and quiete honestly didn’t believe much in depression or anxiety because I had never experienced it myself. Until it devoured me..
How can you show up for your customers or your clients if you can barely show up for yourself?
How can you be creative when your mind is in a dark place?
The core of my lifestyle includes journaling, reading, motivational videos, taking mental breaks, drawing and anything that helps calm my mind. Anything that fortifies my positive thoughts. As a result I have been able to maintain a heathy mind and catch when it’s not going well so that I can adjust before it gets bad. I have been able to be more positive in negative situations. I have been able to fight through imposter syndrome. And I have able to focus my energy on my art, growth, business goals, and spreading positive energy!
Lastly, creativity has had a compelling effect on my life as an artist and business owner. Creativity in my designs and bringing to life the images in my head. The creativity to create solutions to everyday problems or larger business problems that arise. The creativity to be myself in order to build a brand that is uniquely me. The creativity to bring forth new ways to share or expand my art. The creativity to have vision on how I want my future to look. The creativity to adapt. The creativity to thrive in any situation.
If you are early on in your Artist career or as a business owner I encourage you to learn to live in gratitude. Wake up each day and find 5 things to be grateful for. I motivate you to put your mental health first. Letting go of anything that can flood your mind so that you can strive as a person, as a parent (if applicable) and as an artist or business owner. I push you to learn to be creative in every sense or form. However that may look to you. Let your mind create freely and pay attention to your imagination because those thoughts are there for a reason!
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
As you’ve learned I am a single mom. Those of you that can relate know how difficult being a single parent can be. I have faced many challenges in my journey, specifically those that come with being the one almost fully responsible physically and financially for my kids. And for the longest time I let that hold me back from pursuing my dreams. I made the excuse that I couldn’t do certain things because I didn’t have help with my kids. And though the situation hasn’t changed, I’ve learned to adapt. To use the fact that I have my kids with me all the time to fuel my fire. To find strength and have patience.
Those who know me know that it’s always me and Matemi. (Matemi is the names of both my kids merged into one word and is the name behind my art.) Always my kids and I. At events, while I crochet, while I create, while I tattoo. It’s not easy but I do the most with what I’ve got and use my resources. I let them see me work and help when possible. I explain what I’m doing and why I’m doing it along with what I expect from them. My daughter also loves to draw and I encourage her to sell her art with me at events which she does!
So if I knew I had only a decade left I would continue to use my kids as fuel to hustle harder than ever. I would continue to prepare them for a bigger future, support their dreams and continue to spend as much time with them as possible. And lastly I would tell my story as much as I can, in hopes to inspire and teach other single moms that they are strong, worthy, and are capable of anything they set their mind to! That being a single mom isn’t an excuse to hold back, it’s our superpower to go full speed ahead!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://matemicreations.bigcartel.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/matemi_ink
- Other: https://instagram.com/Matemicreations
Image Credits
Oscar Anti
