What's in A Name?
Today marks seven months since I went from Stevie Greek to Stevie Storck. Around that time, I also switched from "Stevie Greek Design" to "Young Tradition Studio". The reasoning behind these name changes are easy enough to guess, but I've never explained why I made these decisions. And believe me, it was a process.
About a year ago now, I started to seriously consider what I was going to do about changing my name(s). I was not completely sold on changing my last name at first. Ever since Anthony and I started dating in high school, we had friends, family and even teachers pointing out to me that if Anthony and I ever got married, my name would become an alliteration. "Haha! You'll be St-evie St-orck! That's hilarious!" was something I heard at least on a weekly basis during our senior year of high school.
I seriously considered keeping my maiden name until I realized that my only reason for doing that would be my own vanity. If Anthony's last name had been something like Williams or Richardson, I would have taken his name without any hesitation. I have always loved the idea of a husband and wife sharing a last name because to me it represents a transition from simple couple-hood to the start of a true family unit. It was when I realized this that I realized that taking Anthony's last name was the right choice for me. I admit, I still have days where I wish I had a more appropriate married monogram (it's sSa, I'll give you a second to spell that backwards in your mind...), but for the most part I am getting used to my new moniker.
When it came to thinking of a new name for my Etsy shop, I thought long and hard about what my mission was and what type of image I wanted to project. Since I became an Etsy seller in February of 2013, my best selling item has easily been my Gender Reveal Party kits. Five years ago, gender reveal parties weren't even a "thing" but now so many expectant parents are choosing to share and celebrate this moment with their friends and family in person. Similarly, I'd never heard of a co-ed baby shower until a few years ago, when I started seeing co-ed shower invitations and party themes all over Pinterest. I love that today's generation of parents are changing the rules when it comes to celebrating their pregnancies and starting fun, new traditions with their families.
Anthony and I may not be parents yet, but we've always enjoyed talking about the traditions we want to share and create for our future children. We are both nostalgia lovers. We're probably some of the only 23 year olds who would spend our birthday getaway weekend browsing antique shops, visiting a railroad museum and taking a guided tour of a historic monastery. I am obsessed with historic architecture and dream about raising our future children turn-of-the-century farm house that we restored ourselves and furnished with a beautiful mix of antique, contemporary and modern furniture.
When it came to my shop name, I knew I wanted to portray the concept that something that is traditional can still be unconventional and innovative. That is how I arrived at the name Young Tradition Studio.
My mission as a designer is to create beautiful and unique surroundings that inspire my customers as they live their daily lives, celebrate milestones and create new traditions and memories with family and friends. My unexpected venture into stationery design has, so far, been an absolute delight because I've had opportunities to fulfill this mission thanks to my wonderful customers.
Will I always create stationery and sell on Etsy? Maybe. Will I ever work under a different name than Young Tradition Studio? I'm not sure. One thing I do know is that I will continue to design for the rest of my life. Because it's more than my passion, it's in my nature.