Life & Work with Aphrodite Varis of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aphrodite Varis.

Hi Aphrodite, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started with The Fairytale Foundation when I was 14 and a Freshman in High school. My enthusiasm quickly allowed me to become a manager. Me and a fellow volunteer, Elizabeth Kibbey, ran the company when Stephanie went to study abroad, responding to booking emails, creating new costumes and wigs. It was the first time someone had trusted me with such a big project and I was so excited to be apart of it all like that. Since then, I’ve never stopped with casting, emails, and fundraisers but my main passion was always the costumes. From 14 to 22 I have had many titles but I have always been working on advancing tailoring skills. Now, as Vice President and Costume Designer, I made costumes from scratch and run the socials to reflect how much we’ve grown throughout the years.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No never. It was always a balancing act trying to grow the company, … and do my homework. My parents, while so supportive, frequently made me keep perspective – ‘fairytale is amazing, but college application deadlines are this weekend.’ It was a good exercise in prioritizing and procrastination.

The pandemic also affected us in a big way, as it did most small businesses, but every time we would experience a setback, we’d always come back stronger and more experienced. What kept us going was our community.

There is no broken carnival tent, rainstorm, flat tire, or even a pandemic that could stop us. Slow us down? Sure. But stop us? Not a chance. It’s because we’ve heard time and time again how much what we do matters—from wish visits, pediatric picnics, and volunteer testimonials, we know people will always need a little extra magic in their lives.

Whenever things get difficult, we have a personal motto we say to each other—often at three in the morning, surrounded by dying laptops, old take out, and tired sewing machines: “It’s for the children.”

Most volunteers will tell you they do this for the smiles and hugs our princesses get when we help make someone’s day a little brighter. And it’s true. But I can say from experience that what we do is also for our inner child.

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 am a costume designer! I originally went to school for digital arts, wanting to be a concept artist for film. Instead, I found myself working as a student costume assistant at the theatre department and it really opened up a new world to me. I always thought my hobby would be just that, a hobby. Here I found myself surrounded by creative individuals who were able to take their ideas from paper to the stage. In my four years there I learned so much. I wouldn’t be who I am today artistically if it wasn’t for my mentors Laurel Jean Daman & Margaret McCubbin.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
For Fairytale we don’t know what the future holds. I see every year as a gift. The princess-ing industry can be so competitive but the love our volunteers and community have for us is unmatched. We have some volunteers with us now who remember visiting the princesses at community events when they were children which is such a crazy full circle moment for us. I have some specific events that have permanently left a mark of my heart. I want to be able to give back in this way for as long as I can.

For my professional career I want to keep creating, my current goal is to work at PlayHouse in Cleveland then eventually Broadway!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thefairytalefoundationcle.org/ & https://www.eaphroditeart.com/
• Instagram: @thefairytalefoundation & @eaphroditeart
• Facebook: @thefairytalefoundation
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-aphrodite-varis-2a1a462b3?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios