Today we’d like to introduce you to Zoe Andersen.
Hi Zoe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story begins with telling stories. I was very into make-believe as a child. I had an extensive toy collection with which I would act out family dramas and magical adventures. But my favorite part was always staging the scenes with tiny props, building book walls, and making carpet floors out of felt squares. The floor of my closet held a tiny world of its own for an embarrassingly long time. As it turns out, building immersive worlds would become a dream turned reality. The world I currently have the pleasure of building is called Camp Fimfo, and it is like living in a quirky, s’more-filled campground of memories.
My bibliophilic family kept me well supplied with books. Family vacations were spent camping at Disney World, which is where my love of stories, make-believe, and art finally came to a head. When I realized that actual people, dubbed Imagineers, dreamed, designed, and built the fantastic environments Disney is known for, I finally had my direction. But that’s all it was, a direction. No map, no syllabus, no clearly defined steps.
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?
For those aspiring to creative careers, asking the question “how did you get to where you are today” is not particularly helpful. Ask any two creatives and they will outline vastly different paths to their current role. There is no clearly paved path with a great big X marking the point where you “made it.” For me, I choose my direction based on three things:
● My interests: Art school, yes! Puppetry sounds fun! Why not an MFA in theater?!
● Needs: Pandemic hit so embrace that freelance graphic designer life.
● Opportunity: Full-time design job offer on a retro-themed campground? Yes please!
Risks have to be taken. If it positively answers the question “Will this teach me something that will help me toward designing immersive worlds?” then the risk is worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This current chapter has me working on Camp Fimfo, part of Northgate Resort’s family of campgrounds. The first of these parks just opened in July 2021 in New Braunfels, Texas. I moved back to Austin just to be a part of this ground-up operation.
As the Brand Experience Designer, I help to curate the guest experience. From signage to playful hidden moments to merchandising to seasonal events and decor. I am steeped in the visual identity of the brand and my job centers around translating those imaginative ideas into physical reality. It is hard work. And yet…seeing something that previously only existed in your imagination come to life is inexplicably fulfilling.
Every creative decision I make must support the mission of the brand: a multigenerational camping experience rooted in nostalgia that focuses on fun in the great outdoors. The Camp Fimfo experience is defined by kitschy design touches, whimsical hidden surprises, and attention to modern comforts. We strive to close the gap between our guests’ desire for comfort and the sometimes inaccessibility of outdoor fun. Our tone is eccentric, playful, and humble in an effort to make camping feel less serious and inspire guests to break out of their comfort zones. I work heavily on the themed and interactive installations around the park, things I consider “theatrical elements”. These are moments, be them custom mini golf obstacles or murals, that elevate typical campground amenities to unexpected moments of storytelling and emotional connection.
With Camp Fimfo, every experience must be taken to the next level: “plussed” as Walt Disney used to say. When someone says, “let’s do a hammock grove,” I say okay. And then, I spend a lot of time thinking through the experience of sitting in a hammock and the form of a hammock stand. I sketch a while and somewhere in all this thinking a spark catches fire and a “what if” question is posed. A new sketch pours out of my pen and I have now designed an experience of sitting in a hammock under the soft glow of giant roasting marshmallows. Voilà, a singular experience you can’t get from a regular hammock. As our ad states: “A seriously fun time, hold the serious.”
Everything I learned along my journey I use on a daily basis working on Camp Fimfo. My childhood interests are still what drives me; they are my true North. Maintaining a connection to those early daydreams is what I am most proud of today. It is a tough thing to do when faced with that baffling social stigma against artistic careers. I think the unpredictability is what scares people most about it, including myself. But I try to transform that into excitement about the sheer possibilities ahead. I’m writing my story as I go, listening to my gut on where the next chapter should take me and speculating wildly on the ending.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
2020 threw some serious curveballs. I had just moved to Orlando and spent the fall of 2019 networking, arranging lunch meetings, and sending bi-weekly emails to connections in the themed entertainment industry. Shortly after a fantastic job interview, the world shut down. I spent the next few months watching the industry I’d worked so hard to enter crumble in a series of massive layoffs. Did I learn any interesting lessons through this crisis? I suppose I learned to pivot. This wasn’t hard for me. I’ve always been an artist of breadth. I like working in different mediums, with different themes, and solving different problems. It has resulted in a portfolio that is difficult to categorize neatly in my website, but it illustrates a journey authentically guided by my interests. And if you look closely at it all together, there is a through-line: storytelling.
Pricing:
- Cabin Rentals ranging average of $114-$245/a night
- RV Spots average $69/night
- Day Camp Passes $34
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.campfimfo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campfimfo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CampFimfo/
Image Credits:
Northgate Resort
