We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Cantu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I dropped out of high school and got my GED at 16 and didn’t finish college. Now I understand why— there was never enough time or focus on creative outlets in public school. I’ve always been in love with all art mediums and it was the only stimulating thing for me for as long as I can remember. When I realized that I could possibly do it to eat and pay rent, I had a great support system to make it happen.

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 wouldn’t be where I am without the support of those around me. There’s also the negative aspects of life that lit a fire under me to keep going and to be myself and feel confident in my abilities. It’s never been easy and still isn’t— but it’s fun to throw myself into a stress-inferno and sprinkle some water on it. I play enough games on my phone to be able to tackle… most real-life challenges. If there’s one thing I’ve learned (recently) is that it’s okay to step back and breathe. Nothing has to be perfect in a record amount of time!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
KIRIN COURT! I love, LOVE that restaurant! So many food-driven activities to plan out. I’ll make this into a more organized list:

EATS- Herrera’s Tex-Mex, Uchi, Cosmic Cafe, Charlie’s Creole Kitchen, Happy Lamb Hot Pot, Joy Macarons
PLAY- It’ll DO (go there if you want to hear the best House music in town and RIP Beauty Bar), Alamo Drafthouse, Vintage Martini, Dolly Python, and basically all of Oak Lawn.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Alicia Stepp, Daniel Henigman and John Fussell, Renato Rimach, Nick Glover, Gloria Paz, Michaela McClure

Website: www.bycantu.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cantumakeupartist

Image Credits
All makeup and images by me, hair Gloria Paz, assisted by Michaela McClure and Natalia Arteaga

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