18. What advice would you give to someone starting out, or wanting to increase their business?
For someone who is starting out in the balloon business, I would suggest that they attend TMJ or Twist and Shout.   If they can not afford to go to one yet, then I would suggest attending lectures or Jams whenever they could.  I also think it is a good idea to join the different balloon forums, like this one or balloonhq.com
If they are looking to increase their business, then I would say market themselves.   If they are capable of making large nice sculptures, then I would make some up and leave them in places that have high visibility with contact information on how to reach you.   In the USA, banks and hair saloons usually let you leave nice sculptures in them.   I also believe that when you are starting out, it is good to look for agents that book line-work jobs as well as shows.   The more you can get your name out there, the more you will get work.
I have heard some other professional twisters say that you should keep your full-time job until you are making enough to quit your job and be okay for 3 to 6 months.   Personally, I just made the decision to do balloons and did.   I think "need" and "hunger" is a great motivater to get you out there promoting yourself and looking for balloon work.  I don't regret the way I did it.    
19. What road in latex do you see yourself taking in the future?
I would like to be primarily teaching others and making large promotional pieces or dresses.   We are talking about starting up in décor too.   I have already bought a lot of the equipment needed to do columns, walls, ect.  
I also have been trying to re-write my educational magic shows to include balloons.  We want to brand ourselves as the balloon family.

20. What is your personal goal when you set off to work? Is it money or to entertain etc?
That depends.   Basically I use to do balloons as a hobby until 2004.   When my husband and I temporarily separated, I had to find some way to support my children.   I never really had ever gotten any training in anything else when I was younger.   Until I had married my husband, I was basically just a party girl.  I started modeling and performing when I was 17 years old.   I married my husband thinking I would never have to work or be anything other than a wife or mom.   My magic, balloon skills and face painting were for my own enjoyment, not for anything else really.   So, I guess for awhile, my mine goal after 2004 was to make money.  Now that we have developed a successful business, I am focusing more on the entertainment and art of balloons.   My husband joined us in our business in 2006, and we have all been working together to become better entertainers and artist.   We are constantly adding to our skills.

21. What are your balloon goals for the future?
I would really like to put on a large educational project about Gettysburg and the Civil War to raise money to help "Teens in Trouble" or "Children with Disabilities" or "Balloon Artist Mother of Three".
Like I mentioned before, I am currently trying to find someone to sponsor a fashion show for Breast Cancer Awareness.  

22. If you could start all over again, would you change anything?
Nope.  Everything I have been through has made me who I am today.  It seems that all the bad things I have been through have made things really better in the end.   Our trails in life are what we learn from for future success.

23. Who is the most famous person you have made a balloon creation for?
The most famous person I have ever made a balloon for is Don Francisco for the Sabado Gigante Show.  The next most famous would be "Flash"

Hi Shonna,

I like reading your post, they are very interesting.
After I saw the amazing dresses on the pictures you posted I'm wondering where you get the inspiration from. Do you look at normal dresses or is it just your imagination?

 :idea: I think it would be cool to have a picture with 2 models : 1 with a normal dress and 1 with a balloon version of the dress!

Petra

Hi Petra,

Thank you for the compliment.  Right now I haven't really tried copying a dress.  Mostly I just make them up as I go, and they are always different than I have envisioned them.  Now that I am working more with Just Marie, I am trying to make copies of dresses with the in-flated balloons.  Working with un-inflated balloons is strange.   It is not the same as fabric.  It doesn not bend or pleat as well and it is very hard to sew them.  I like doing it though, although sometime it makes me nuts.  
If I do copy a dress next time, then I will try as you say.

24. How would you like the future of balloon modeling to develop?
I really hope that one day people truly see balloon twisters as true artist.   There is a difference though in what different twisters do.  I personally think it is easy to follow recipes to re-create sculptures, but it is different when an artist looks at something and makes it without any instructions; just purely from their own eye.  I see all balloon modeling as art, but I think it is a "true artist" that comes up with new designs and new concepts.  My dream is for there to be more people who are willing to pay to have large scale sculptures made with balloons without us having to be "entertaining" the whole time.   I know that for some people it is enough to just watch it happen.   Dustin and I have been fortunate enough to get some jobs that all we have to do is just make a sculpture for on lookers, and it is great to hear their applause and hear their words of awe and wonderment as the balloons we "twist" turn into things.  

25. How do you keep the enthusiasm going & what still excites you about our great world of latex.
I really think going to conventions and working on large projects helps excite me and keep me enthusiastic about the balloon world.   There is only so much we can accomplish alone, but when we work as a group, the results can be surreal.   Also, at the conventions you get to see so many wonderful things done with balloons.  Whether I want it or not, the majority of my work right now is still the "quick and easy."   I am usually being a balloon machine, even when I am allowed 10 to 15 minutes per design; I am normally just making a sculpture from my memory bank that has a lot of detail.  At conventions you get to see some real innovative creative pieces and also be around other twisted people who love latex.   It is always like a shot in the arm!

Hey, here is a picture of Graham learning how to do balloon dresses at TMJ 08.   I hope he got a close enough look to be able to make one soon! :lol:

Alayna tells me Graham was a perfect gentleman.   He must have been on better behavior than when I am around. I don't know if I have ever seen him be a gentleman :lol:  :lol:

26. What inspires or is your thought process in coming up with a new design?
If we are talking about dresses, I usually decide to make a dress because one of my girls wants one.    Even when I made the dresses for China, I asked Alayna to help me decide what to make so that it would be something she could wear sometime somewhere.  The dresses take a lot of time and tedious work.  I don't think I would do one if it wasn't for Alayna or Alysa or for really big money.     If we get to do the Fashion Show for Breast Cancer, that will be different.   Marie and I are already looking for ideas and I have some started.   If it never happens, then Alayna and Alysa will have a closet full of Balloon dresses.  I know a lot of people make the dresses or other new pieces for competition, but I rarely compete.  I prefer not having the pressure or stress.
Most of the original ideas I have with modeling balloons are with Specialty Shapes.  Usually I come up with a new idea when I am sleeping.   An idea pops into my head and I try it when I get up.   Also I come up with new ideas when clients ask for something different.   I am fortunate to have Dustin though.  If I don't have the time, then Dustin makes me something on the spot to help me.   Later we change it or add to it to make it better.   It might be a curse to have him around because I don't try as hard as I might if he wasn't here.

27. Who would you like to work with dead or alive?
The balloon artist/entertainers I have met that I feel I could learn the most from are Bibo, Willy Monroe, Guido, Bido, Sophie Vandewyer, Koon, Ingrid Hogers, Shirley Ray, Sean Rooney, Jack Mattson, Katie, Laibstain, Colin, Rie and so many more.   I always have a great time and learn so much when I get to work with Debbie Stevens, Ken Stillman, and Just Marie.

My favorite all time comedian is Lucille Ball.   I would love to have had the opportunity to work with her, Carol Bunett, Lilly Tomlin, The Three Stooges, George Carlin, Chaplin, Goldie Hawn & Red Skeleton.  The list would be endless if I had to name all the greats I would like to have worked with dead or alive.

28. What makes you laugh?
It depends on my mood.  Just Marie makes me laugh a lot, very sarcastic that one....  My children make me laugh and smile.   Comedy shows make me laugh.   Little kids make me laugh.   Baby animals make me laugh.   My husband makes me laugh.  Being tickled makes me laugh

If latex wasn't the love of your life, what would be?

If I hadn't fallen in love with latex, I probably would have become an event planner if there weren't any openings at Walmarts Beauty Department.

You attend many of the balloon related events.  Do you recommend them to newcomers to the industry?

Tell us about your experiences, people you've met, things you've learned, etc.

Who's that perv checking out Alayna and what is she wearing?