Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Gaseitsiwe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change when I started my creative career—I believe I entered it at exactly the right moment. My journey has been anything but linear, and that’s what makes it so valuable.

I initially started in art school, drawn to creative expression, but I eventually pivoted to criminology, where I built a career overseeing anti-money laundering investigations. At first glance, these fields seem worlds apart – and they are! However, my time in the field of financial crime investigations sharpened my critical thinking, gave me a unique lens on risk and ethics, and ultimately gave me the stability to return to my creative roots with more confidence and a broader perspective.

When I review my life’s timeline, I know that a creative career from the beginning would have led me down an immensely different path. I prefer to take experiences as growth opportunities and never have regrets. Perhaps if I had stayed the course in art school, I would have never discovered that paper was my best medium.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. The timing gave me the best of both worlds, and I think my life is stronger because of that journey.

Anna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a maker at heart. These days I own and operate a maker space where I teach many different workshops – from lampshade making to screen printing to mold making. I have always been on the lookout for just one more artistic outlet. I discovered the art of paper botanical sculptures by chance when at a bookstore looking through books on handmade items and from there I made it my “thing”.

When creating something meant to be hyperrealistic, there is a necessary patience to the process. Often people hear “paper flowers” and think quick and crafty. While that is certainly a field of work for some people, the goal with my art has been to elevate the work to the status of fine art sculpture. Explaining the amount of time, precision and effort that goes into each flower helps potential customers understand the difference between quick-crafted flowers and my paper sculptures.

Working with large corporate brands like Bath and Body Works, Target, and Cartier to create hundreds of paper flowers for their events and store locations has been a great source of pride for me. Handcrafting so many of my paper blooms for thousands of people to enjoy is really what this is often all about for me.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Supporting artists and fostering a thriving creative ecosystem requires valuing creativity as an essential part of culture, innovation, and the economy. Education and public investment in the arts are also crucial. Schools should integrate the arts into STEM (STEAM), and governments and private institutions should fund public art, festivals, and cultural initiatives. Supporting marginalized and neurodivergent creatives through mentorship and accessibility resources ensures a truly diverse and inclusive creative landscape.

Finally, artists must be compensated fairly. The mentality of offering “exposure” instead of fair pay needs to end, and organizations should commit to ethical wages for creative work. By treating the arts as both cultural enrichment and a viable profession, society can build a more innovative, vibrant, and sustainable creative ecosystem.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Authenticity. 100% of my posts and my engagement with social media is me being my authentic self. While that sounds cliche, it is what makes the difference. When people decide to invest in following your work, fostering a sense of connectedness through humanity allows followers to see your imperfections, quirks, and the inconsistencies of life – often these are aspects people look to hide or detract from in social media.

Algorithms be damned, authenticity, while it may take longer, will create a stronger and more dedicated following on social media platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.themakery.space
• Instagram: apaperflorist