Anna Craft is a writer and Starbucks barista living in Royal Oak, Michigan. She was born and raised in Sterling Heights, Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University last year. Although writing is her passion, she loves working as a barista and says that knowing how to make a proper cappuccino is a necessary life skill. If she could spend her days reading, writing, and hiking, she would. When she’s not freelance writing and designing, making coffee, or on Pinterest, Anna can be found shopping, reading or hiking. Anna’s clever wit, impeccable taste in tattoos and fashion, and passion for living life to the fullest has earned her over 2.5M Pinterest followers!
When did you start using Pinterest and what inspired you to make an account?
I started using Pinterest when it was still invite-only. Before Pinterest, for years I had been saving pictures to my computer, printing them out, and making style board collages that I could flip through for inspiration. Pinterest was finally a place to do it online and I was so excited to have found a website that let me continue this hobby (and save some paper and time.)
Why do you like Pinterest?
I just love how much there is! People are really putting as many products and images as possible on there. It’s fun to find images and ideas that I’ve never seen before and never would have thought of otherwise. Pinterest keeps me on my toes creatively and constantly adds to my list of projects to start, outfits to buy, and house DIYs to try. It’s a constant source of inspiration.
The beach at Port Austin, Michigan – one of Anna’s favorite spots.
You have gained over 2.5M followers! Fantastic! So what makes your Pinterest unique?
I think my followers enjoy that I stick to my vision and the things I like. My style is kind of classic, yet bohemian, and in terms of housewares, very natural and organic. I think that can be seen throughout every board. I don’t just pin to pin. I really look through and critique pictures and products. Then I determine where I want them to be. This is kind of the beauty of Pinterest. If you want to pin everything you’ve ever liked, you absolutely can, but if you want to create a more curated experience, it’s so easy to do and the tools are right there. I stick to what I love and the vision of life that’s in my head.
Your Pinterest says you’re living in Mitten, USA. Where is that exactly? Tell us what it’s like there!
Sterling Heights is a great and inspiring little town full of shops and restaurants and Michiganders doing creative things! Here in Michigan, we call our great state The Mitten (because of the shape!) I’ve thought about moving, whether for jobs or just experiences, but Michigan is a really magical place. We have city centers, but once you head up north, it’s full of beautiful trees, rolling hills, and dirt roads. We’re surrounded by The Great Lakes, which are just amazing to see. It may not seem like much, but it’s home and I like to think that my style definitely reflects the way I was raised here and the way I live in this state.
Have you traveled much? If so, where and when?
I’ve never been abroad, but I’ve made a habit of spending a lot of time traveling through the US! I would have to say my favorite place is San Francisco, CA. It reminds me of home a little. There is so much inspiration and creative expression in that city. I’ve spent a lot of time down south, and up north. I’d love to go abroad and experience the culture, but there is so much to see here and so many experiences to be had.
Anna’s apartment.
Tell us more about your Pinterest boards. What are your favorite boards to pin on and why?
I really love organization, which I guess is why I’m on Pinterest! My boards are split up really specifically, which I love. It makes it so easy to go back and find outfits, hairstyles, and party ideas. I would say my favorite boards to pin on are weddings + parties, lifestyle inspiration, style, and hair + face. I can hardly choose one. I love parties and I love decorating for them, so gathering inspiration for them just takes me into party planning daydream mode. “Lifestyle inspiration” is really like a style board, but it’s more fun and frivolous and less day to day wear, which is why I enjoy it so much. I pin pictures of my favorite celebrities looking glam, and things like great headdresses that I could never wear in public, but that exemplify my style center. It’s truly a board for creativity and every single picture is life inspiration for me.
My “style” and “hair + face” boards are probably my two favorites because they’re so carefully curated. I pin to them with the thought of going back and copying a look, trying a hairstyle, or working on a new makeup trend. These boards really exemplify the Pinterest spirit to me.
What is your Pinterest aesthetic?
This is hard to pin down! I would say my Pinterest aesthetic is modern bohemian. I love natural, rustic elements, especially in home and party decor, but in terms of style, I want to be in all black everything with a great pair of booties and a huge scarf. That’s the beauty of Pinterest, I think, it’s about combining all the things you love into an aesthetic that it totally you.
Anna’s “beloved Starbucks apron.”
Your Tumblr is really awesome. When did you start it and why? Tell us more about it!
My Tumblr is basically my baby. I first started a tumblr account in 2008, when I went away to college. I’m a writer. It’s my truest passion, and I had never been able to follow up with my writing on any other site. Over the years, I deleted and started new accounts, but I’ve had this blog for a while now. I have a really great base of followers there who support me and read my writing and offer great feedback. My greatest joy is sharing my words with the world and Tumblr is where I get to do it. My blog, which is called Messy Hair, Wild Heart, is a collection of my writing, pictures I love (many of which I also pin), and quotes that inspire my writing. I also mix some style posts in when I can. I’d love to move it to a place where I am only putting up style posts and personal writings, but I’d like to build my base of readers a bit more first.
What are your plans and hopes for the future?
My biggest hope is to get published one way or another and to open a shop with my sister which will be full of great finds and pieces. Her style is so curated and beautiful and I think a collaboration like that would be great. My current plans are a little less mapped out. Sure, it would be awesome to have a 9-5 job, but I’ll tell you, the life I’m living now is really beautiful and full and I’m enjoying being able to balance so many passions, like Pinterest, coffee (ALWAYS!), and writing, all at once. Pinterest isn’t just a website, it’s a way to express yourself, and I think so much of my certainty in life right now is because of my being involved in things like Pinterest, in conjunction with HelloSociety. It’s allowed me to get to know myself, my style, and what I want from the everyday and the future.
Anna and her 7-year-old Maltipoo, Izzy.
Connect with Anna!
Pinterest – Twitter – Instagram – Blog / Tumblr