Today we’d like to introduce you to Lizzie Steger.
Hi Lizzie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey has definitely been an uncommon path. I’ve know from a young age I’d never fit into a box and refused to be put in one. I’ve always been a creative and work with what I have. My life is all about Art and Creation. I am the Owner and Operator of multiple different businesses and am constantly juggling my greatest joys. My longest standing business is Lustrous Entertainment in which I provide a One-Woman Circus. I am fluent in Fire Performing and Circus Style Hooping bringing unique talent to events around Central Florida. I host our Weekly Spin Jams at Muddy Lotus Tea on Thursday Nights in Ocala. We gather there every week to practice and play and introduce Flow Arts to our local community. Before starting my other businesses, I had fallen in love with raising butterflies. A friend showed me her ways and I instantly was infatuated with process of these fragile creatures life evolution. I have now raised over 600 Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries and Queen Butterfly species and I’d have to say it’s been one of my most rewarding hobbies. It inspired me to start my brand, Bewitched Butterfly. I create all kinds of art, jewelry, clothing and sell crystals/gems. My profits from my Butterfly Collection provide food and habitats for the butterflies. I’m usually out vending at the local Oddities Markets across the state. In January of 2023 I had an amazing opportunity fall in my lap and took over Affordable Chimney Sweep of Central Florida. My knowledge of fire safety from being a Fire Performer pushed me in a direction I didn’t see for myself, but others saw for me. Bringing peace of mind to home owners and educating them about Chimneys has been so rewarding to me. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to make my community safer. My newest business ventures have been adding Photography, Modeling & a Photography Magazine to my arsenal of skills. I started Lizzed Lens at the beginning of this year and have been able to create such amazing art with the best community I could ever ask for. From photographing local events like the Ocala Oddities Market, Brick City Glam Burlesque Squad, This Random Variety Show Performers, Concerts to Creative Portraits and my fellow Fire Performers I’ve unlocked a whole new world that is so fulfilling and spreads joy to so many different groups of people. After being published in a few magazines, I decided to create my own! Matro Magazine is a monthly photography magazine I launched in March. Being able to give photographers a platform to share their work with the world makes me giddy. Seeing their pride and appreciation posts for getting recognized makes me so happy. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot on my plate and some days it’s harder to juggle it all than others but I still refuse to be put in one box when I was made to break barriers to free the path for all who follows.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, in fact I’ve had many downs but even higher ups that make it worth it. To me, obstacles are learning opportunities. I am FAR from perfect and make so many mistakes still to this day. All I can do is take accountability for my wrong doings, learn from it and do better in the future.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m most known as the “Hula Hoop Girl” or the “Butterfly Girl”. It’s pretty obvious I’m obsessed with butterflies. Walking around town in my Clothing Brand I’m always decked out in Monarchs, when you walk by my booth at markets, you’ll see all kinds of butterfly inspired art. These are nick names given to me that I proudly embrace. Most people are not familiar with Flow Arts, which is the bracket I place the art of Hula Hooping in. So when I show up to events creating magnificent geometric shapes with hoops and whipping them around like they’re an extention of my being people are instantly in awe because they never see anything like that. To me, it’s a world I’ve been a part of for the past decade so it’s normal to me. To others it’s something new and exciting and sticks in their head, thus “The Hula Hoop Girl”.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Pure stubborness and sometimes spite drives me to be successful. When I set my mind to something, I WILL ACCOMPLISH IT. No matter what trials and errors stand before me, I’m so stubborn. I will reach my goal but I’ve learned to not be so attached to the path that takes me there. I will say spite has also been a good motivator for me too. For all the people that believed I would never amount to anything or try to belittle me, the toxic part of me wants to prove them wrong and win in their face. Probably not the healthiest way to go about it, but I’m a brutally honest person and if that’s how I get things done, I’m riding the wave. Haters gonna hate, but their hate is fuel transmuted into powerful creativity and abundance for me.
Pricing:
- Circus Hoop Act- Starting rate $350
- Fire Performance- Starting rate $500
- Chimney Inspections- Starting rate $285
- Chimney Sweep & Inspection- Starting rate $400
- Photography- Starting rate $75 ;Performance rates vary by event, chimney service rates vary by travel distance, browse my art website for pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dot.cards/lizziesteger
- Instagram: Instagram.com/lustrousliz2.0
- Facebook: Facebook.com/lizzedlens
- Other: https://lizzedlens.com/matro-magazine/
Image Credits
Photographers: Kevin Nieves with Capture Rose LLC James LaSalle with Infinity Photos Leah Monday with Pneuma Photos All photgrapher have consented to me submitting their photos for this article.
