We had the good fortune of connecting with cassandra sue chavez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi cassandra sue, how do you think about risk?
The creative journey in its entirety has been a risk for me. I have often been comfortable as a “background character” rather than the “main character”. And putting my artwork and who I am out there for the world to see and/or critic is scary, it’s a type of indescribable vulnerability. So when presented with an opportunity that seems to be risky, or just out of my comfort level, I visualize a future-self, and if the opportunity would be in her best interest. And if so, I say “YES” before my overthinking or nerves get the best of me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I lead crochet workshops, and have been crocheting for over 20 years, but I actually don’t know how to read crochet patterns. All my items are crochet patterns that have been taught to me from either mi mami or mi tia, and some have been my own invented patterns. I am excited to one day learn crochet patterns and be able to put them in a book, to preserve the tejidos that have been taught through generations within my family. As for the name “monarcabox”, I actually had the name years before I even started the small business. The name comes from a dream, where I found a chest looking box in an attic. And as I approached the box and opened it, out flew thousands of monarch butterflies. The dream stuck with me for years, and when I was thinking of what to name my new found creativa space, this dream came to mind, monarcabox.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Any free time I have, is spent outdoors. Weather it be engaging in an activity or simply enjoying the stillness of being surrounded by nature. So if I had a friend visit me here in Ventura County, with so much beautiful scenery to see, I’d pick up a fruit cup from a local street vendor, and head to the nearest open space or beach for the day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everyone around me deserves credit. If you are currently surrounding me in this season of life, thank you for being supportive and a source of encouragement, truly.

Website: https://www.monarcabox.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monarcabox/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monarcabox/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@monarcabox

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