Today we’d like to introduce you to Steffanie Dotson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Steffanie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have to admit: I love volunteer work. Giving back and being of service is part of my makeup… it’s my dharma. I also love staying busy, which can be a curse, but I try to keep everything in balance. So, when I was in college, studying woodworking and furniture design, I joined a nonprofit organization called The Furniture Society. I attended one of their conferences and fell in love with everything about it, mostly the wonderful people! I later helped them plan one of their conferences at San Diego State University. A few years after that, I became a member of their board of trustees. I was excited to start some programming that would make up for the countless number of schools closing down woodshop class and abandoning craft education. There was so much work to be done. One thing led to another and soon enough, I was Board President, CEO, and acting Executive Director! I guess there still wasn’t enough on my plate, so I had a baby. I spent a couple of years with her on my hip, helping the organization raise its brand awareness, host exhibitions, conferences and symposiums all over the country. I even gave a symposium welcome speech with her on the floor looking up at me, and to this day she still loves to travel.
But after six years, the time came for me to rotate off the board… and get some sleep! I took a good long break running a small family business in property management and just being a mom. I was finally finding my groove with being a busy, work-at-home mom. Just as I was getting back into my own studio practice, I got invited to be part of another vibrant nonprofit board, The Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts. Sam Maloof was an amazing furniture maker and a big inspiration for me, so of course, I said yes! And then found out I was pregnant with another little girl. Yikes! It seemed history was repeating itself! It was all good stuff though. My husband, daughter and I were ecstatic and very much looking forward to being a family of four. During the downtime at the end of my pregnancy, I founded a nonprofit that serves the San Diego community by teaching woodworking and craft to all ages, as well as supporting artists and craftspeople. The nonprofit, San Diego Craft Collective, was officially born before my baby. Our baby girl is here as well, and we couldn’t be happier!
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been several obstacles along this journey! For one, being a young woman in the male-dominated field of woodworking was a challenge. A simple trip to the lumber yard or the hardware store required me to put my “game face” on. It got more than a little exhausting trying to prove myself to people. I eventually decided that I could choose how I reacted to these experiences. Not every single man meant to offend or downgrade me, and it wasn’t just men doing it! Why let my feathers get ruffled over it when it takes so much energy? Energy that could be put to better use! Once I made that realization, I immediately felt a difference when I found myself in those situations.
Another struggle for me was gender roles… in my marriage, my home, as well as out in the world. Girls really can do whatever we set our minds to! But the challenge I’ve found comes once you get there. For me, I had to come to terms with how to be good to myself. I’m not a girly-girl, but I’m also not a burly-girl. Am I okay with that? I am now, yes. So, if a nice person wants to give me a hand loading my lumber, I say “Sure,” and thank them with a smile. Treating my body, mind, and soul with respect really helped me get around the gender role issue. I spend less time worrying about the rest. It may sound strange, but it makes sense for me.
Now that I’m a mom, I’m learning more about my weaknesses and taking on those challenges. For example, I’m terrible at asking for things or favors I need. Which seems strange for a person who enjoys helping others so much! I’m also a perfectionist, which often results in procrastination for fear of not getting the job done perfectly. I’m working on that one too. I’m finding that getting the task done leaves time for fixing it if I need to. And it also makes me feel more complete when I can check things off my to-do list.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My background is in woodworking and furniture design, and it’s still what I love doing. I’ve worked as a for-profit business, I’ve taught kids and college students, and I’ve also been an advocate for the field of craft. I think I’ll always do all of these things in one form or another, but my current path and passion are being an advocate for craft. That’s the reason for starting San Diego Craft Collective as an educational nonprofit. It was founded on the belief that building a person’s skills with their hands creates a more confident and content individual. Its mission is to play a vital role for the community as an inclusive resource where individuals of all ages can learn crafts and skills with their hands.
As a 501c3 nonprofit, San Diego Craft Collective offers activities and workshops that empower, incite confidence, and create happiness in a family friendly, eco-friendly environment. The organization is unique because it offers education centered around the craft that caters to students ranging from beginner to the occasional hobby project, to professional/museum-quality works. Another objective that sets the organization apart from others is that it will provide a supportive environment for artists and craftspeople to create inspirational work of their own and grow their practices.
Currently, our programming has been limited to pop-up workshops centered around families and children. We’re looking for a physical space to call home, and we’re very close to signing a lease in a really exciting, dynamic community. Having a permanent space will allow us to really ramp up our classes and get rolling with a fully equipped woodworking shop, AND we will host a curated bench space rental program supporting artists and craftspeople by providing them with workspace, access to tools and machines to create work. They’ll have the option to teach classes for the organization’s education program, and equally important, the rental program will provide opportunities for the tenants to connect, collaborate, and exhibit work collectively and on an individual basis.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
As a mom, I love the series of books that Louise Bates Ames wrote. They helped me (and continue to help me) immensely! There’s definitely a link between patience and understanding your child’s developmental stage. Reading her books was a game-changer for me.
I also found the book 1, 2, 3– the Toddler Years: A Practical Guide for Parents & Caregivers by Irene Van der Zande to be extremely helpful.
I love the Natural MD Radio podcasts by Dr. Aviva Romm for staying healthy and sane.
As a woodworker, there are lots of great books out there. A few of my favs are Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner, all of Peter Korn’s books and Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking.
The FineWoodworking.com website, as well as the magazine, are good resources too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sandiegocraft.org
- Phone: 619-273-3235
- Email: sandiegocraftcollective@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegocraftcollective/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoCraft
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandiegocraft
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