'Dan in the Sand' made sandcastles his life's work. He'll teach you for free!

If “professional sandcastle builder” isn’t a career you're familiar with, you may be surprised to learn that Miramar Beach resident Daniel Anderson makes his living that way.

Affectionately known by his online followers as “Dan in the Sand,” Anderson travels on commission making sand sculptures throughout the Panhandle with his business, Dan Castles. This weekend at Navarre Beach, Anderson is giving amateurs the opportunity to learn his craft for free.

“I didn’t want people to have money be a deciding factor on creating an incredible memory with their family,” Anderson said. “I would rather have somebody come out and get a piece of that joy than have to worry about that $50 or that $20 that is going to leave the lights on or buy them food that night.”

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In workshops Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until about 4 p.m., Anderson will share his tools and knowledge with anyone willing to get their hands sandy and their clothes a little damp. They can either choose to construct one of his Christmas designs, such as a Christmas tree or a sand “snowman,” or go rogue and create a design of their own.

He started the annual free sessions about four years ago, where he received about 150 people right off the bat.

This time around, he has the equipment and support staff to teach over 200 people on each of the days — just not all at once. Groups are encouraged to come in staggered hours throughout the day, and he will stop accepting groups about an hour before sunset, due to the lack of daylight left to complete the castle.

Although the location for his free workshops varies year-to-year, he settled on Navarre Beach this year due to the high number of local residents, versus a highly tourist-populated area.

“For me, it’s all about the locals. This is my way to give back to the locals and our community and give them an experience that they missed out on over the summer,” he said.

Although the castles can be built alone, he said a group of between two and 10 people will likely go the smoothest.

The projects during the workshops should only take about an 60-90 minutes, however, some of his heftier projects require 10 to 12 hours of labor.

“For me, it’s not a problem because it never feels like work. I truly love what I’m doing. I literally have a little sandcastle with heartbeat tattooed over my heart,” Anderson said.

He relishes in the thought of being part of his customer’s special moments. From birthdays to gender reveals and music concerts, Anderson has made a sand sculpture for them all.

“Marriage proposals are hands-down my favorite. I’ve done four or five dozen of them and I still get goosebumps every time. It’s just an incredible experience to be a part of,” he said.

Passion turned career path

When he left his career in an animal hospital, he had no idea that his next venture would be a full-time career in sandcastle sculpting. His business now leaves him fully booked from the month of March to November, with hardly any days off.

“While I was working there, I came to realize even though I love animals, I didn’t enjoy working in an animal hospital. So, I was on Craigslist looking for a job, and it said, ‘be a sandcastle coach.’ I was like, there’s no way in the world that this could possibly be a real job,” he said. “I worked with them (Beach Sand Sculptures) hands-on, for two years. They taught me the foundations of how to make the sand and water stick together. Then after I kind of separated from them is when my passion really started.”

Once Anderson became his own boss, every free moment was spent “playing” in the sand or widening his experience with different styles and tools.

Even though his path was not one he had every planned, he said it should not come as that much of a surprise to those who were familiar with his upbringing in Ostego, Michigan.

“I’ve always been very artistic … I’ve always loved playing with dirt. I actually grew up riding BMX bicycles and I used to spend a lot of my free time in the woods building dirt jumps for our bicycles,” he said.

Money has never been his motivator. He just enjoys spreading light and positivity as jaws drop in wonder at his shoulder-high sand towers on the Emerald Coast’s fine white sand.

“It just seems like everything is so negative and dark nowadays. I want to be that source of positivity and that happiness,” she said.

For more information, visit one of Anderson’s Facebook event pages for either the Saturday or Sunday workshop.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Dan in the Sand offers free sandcastle sculpting workshops in Navarre