TO STASH WORLD AAAND BEYOND!
The Beyond Stash World series explores the humans behind the stickers and stationery that we have the pleasure of stocking. Learn more about what inspires your fave makers and where you can discover more of their creations.
Tell us a little about who you are and where your love of art began?
Hi, I'm eeka freaka! Creativity is in my bones. Throughout my youth I used sketchbooks to jot down doodles here and there, but my art journey really picked up when I starting drawing digitally mid 2020. Being exposed to all the tools available and the limitless nature of digital drawing I was addicted!
I started uploading my designs to redbubble as I had dreamt of creating my own merch. After a few months I decided that I wanted a more personal approach to fulfilling orders rather than using print on demand service, so I decided to start a website and began stocking my own products! It was a lot of trial and error for me as I had no real experience doing something like this so I just kinda had to go for it and hope for the best. If things didn't turn out the way I intended then I would learn from it and move forward.
Two years later I am still drawing digitally and bringing my artwork to life through various pieces of merch from beanies to air fresheners to tees and of course, stickers!!
Please describe your creative space – whether it's your art studio or the backyard.
My creative space just got a big upgrade as my partner Dev, my cat Leia & I have made the move from the suburbs of Adelaide to an acreage South of Hobart. Here is a photo of our view from our new front porch!
What inspired you to start your business?
The inspiration behind starting my own business was my passion for both art and fashion! I absolutely love the creative process and have always had an interest in streetwear fashion, dreaming of creating my own. By putting these two passions together, I have developed a dual passion project for myself in eeka freaka! A big driver for me to pursue these passions that I think is worth mentioning - was and still is, seeing freelance artistry be achieved by artists such as @wizardofbarge and @crocidilejackson as that is a huge goal of mine.
Tell us about the inspiration behind some of the pieces you’ve made.
My inspiration for the pieces I create come from far and wide. Literally anything could spark inspiration for my next piece. Some examples of these random sparks of inspiration are street art, nature, music, seeing some groovy pants in the street or even something as simple as someone saying something funny. I generally get struck with ideas at random times so I tend to jot down a note and come back to it later, otherwise I tend to forget (literally every time I don't write it down).
Who’s your favourite singer or band at the moment?
I can't stop listening to Babe Rainbow!! A psychedelic rock band from the East Coast. Their music is enchanting! Do yourself a favour if you haven't heard of these guys or have a hippie bone in your body!
Are you a sticker user or do you hoard them?
I am a sticker user for sure! It is in my bones to sticker bomb every piece of furniture that I deem appropriate to do so!
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making your art?
Outside of art, I spend a heap of time listening to music! One of my favourite things to do is to find new sounds I haven't heard before! I also enjoy travelling in our campervan and overseas, exploring new places, hanging with friends and fam (and cat) as well as getting lost in a video game or tv show.
Of course, we have to ask, what’s your favourite piece you’ve made?
My favourite piece I have made.. That's a hard one, but I can't go past this ripper I drew for @loochband for their single 'Teenage Stoners'. Such a fun project and a big tick off the bucket list as I have always wanted to design cover art for a band!
