Meet Stephanie Brockman | Balloon Twister and Airbrush Face Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Brockman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I always say, “Twisting balloons and face painting makes me truly happy. The fact that it makes other people happy, too, is just icing on the cake.”

However, I suppose it runs deeper than that. I can twist balloons on my own in my living room and it makes me smile, but watching a person (kid or adult, it doesn’t really matter) as I blow up that first long balloon and then proceed to turn it into whatever they’ve asked for is heart-deep gratification. The unguarded smiles I receive, the brightened eyes—that’s what this life is about.

The moment I’ve finished a face paint and handed someone the mirror, is a moment I wish I could catch on a picture every time. That little kid isn’t just painted like a butterfly, they ARE a butterfly.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
At the core of it all, being an entertainer/creator isn’t what I do, it’s who I am. It’s who I have always been. My years up until starting my business were just discovering the niche that fit me best. And I tried a bunch!

My bachelor’s degree is actually in advertising, with a concentration on writing copy. I’ve never even stepped into an advertising agency. Before I had graduated, I knew that’s not where I belonged. Too cutthroat. Too filled with rules. Too many chances of having to give up my personal integrity.

Over the years came book publishing. So much textbook publishing. I liked the people I worked with, but that’s about it. I’m well aware I talked too much in those hushed offices. Combining people I liked with a very quiet, serious venue was nothing more than a captive audience for me some days. I’m very lucky my bosses liked me, too!

Filling in the gaps were things like acting as the assistant editor of a small daily newspaper, being the calming voice on the other end of an emergency as a 911 operator, even a substitute teacher at my daughter’s school. All things that need to be done. But they were like a jacket that doesn’t fit quite right. Constantly adjusting the shoulders and pulling down the sleeves. It covered me, but not in a way that it was ever going to be something I wasn’t fussing with.

In the background, I was always making things. Stained glass, beaded jewelry, beaded stained glass, ribbon flowers, beaded ribbon flowers. I really like glass beads, obviously! Those were fun, but again, not quite the right fit. Farmers markets and craft shows were where I talked more than I sold.

Then the birthday party that changed my life. That sounds so dramatic, but really, its true!

I don’t come from a celebration type of family. We don’t generally do birthday parties. Ever. We are a family-get-together kind of people, but rarely for occasions like birthdays. My daughter, born the day after Thanksgiving, craved a proper birthday party, not just something lumped in with a holiday. That was very fair. Thus, when she was 10, I planned a birthday party to take place several weeks before her actual birthday so all her friends could attend. It was all about her.

She wanted a balloon twister. I searched and I searched and I searched and couldn’t find anyone local. But I had a book and she had a little kit from some holiday or another. I learned to twist! I found artists online and I did tutorials, I got good enough to make some jungle animals for her safari-themed birthday party. I was hooked.

I bought the right gear and started taking online classes. After a year of practicing, I felt I was ready and started going out to work with crowds of people. Such a learning experience has no equal. No tutorial or facebook group can prepare you for being in front of a crowd and doing your best to make them happy. Luckily, with balloons in your hands, it doesn’t take much to get people to smile.

Slowly that ill-fitting jacket of years before wasn’t so short in the sleeves. Wasn’t so tight across the shoulders. It fit. Balloon twisting fit. I was talking while I was twisting, It was nearly impossible to be too loud or silly for the space. I created smiles with every finished balloon…and even accidentally destroying one could be funny. Everything I had learned from all those other jobs was slowly sliding into place.

There’s nothing like being a substitute teacher to teach you how to manage large groups of kids, and while I might not develop award-winning advertising campaigns like I had dreamed of in college, I maybe understand the nature of marketing a little easier than some of my peers. It all added together to build into the experience that I needed to succeed.

I’ve added face painting over the years because it is what my clients were asking for. I didn’t go the traditional route of brush and water because I prefer versatile tools like airbrushes and what makes me happy tends to translate well to making the people in my face painting chair happy.

At the end of the day, the job of Balloontacular Entertainment, LLC is to make everyone happy. And I’m pleased to say that includes myself as well. My jacket may be festooned with cartoon balloon dogs, but it fits like it was made for me…because it was.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t really get too much down time. When you own your own business, you tend to be working all the time. Even when you aren’t working.

When my best friend comes to town, we find ourselves in my cozy kitchen sipping coffee drinks and laughing. Neither of us enjoy crowds in our off time. We get enough of that when we work. She knows to expect me to jump up from my seat to jot down ideas or send a quick email. But she loves me for who I am.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my family. I mean, looking at your significant other and saying, “I think I want to quit my very normal day job and be a balloon twister,” is a little scary. I was lucky my husband realized I was never meant to live inside the lines. From day one he was my biggest champion and ready to help me be bigger and better.

Our daughter, too, couldn’t be prouder. I started down this path because she wanted a balloon twister at her 10th birthday party and I couldn’t find one locally. Ten years later, we come rolling up to events together because she is my best face painter.

How lucky am I?

All of my thanks goes to my family and all the balloon twisters of the world. I include both the twisters who came before me paving the way, and the ones who currently sit at my side at conventions swapping tips and tricks, exchanging stories, and most importantly, laughing with me.

Website: https://www.balloontacular.com

Instagram: @balloontacular

Linkedin: Balloontacular Entertainment

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