Let's Get Creative: The aim of this project is to be able to secure a premises in Morpeth town centre where we can create a community art hub with a friendly, welcoming vibe. Products and Services on offer will include the following: 

-Drop in and pre-booked pottery painting 

-Create your own name pictures 

-Alphabet City Art prints and cards for sale 

-Local artists' work for sale 

-Craft parties to suit all ages 

-Special occasion packages e.g. Mother's Day and Father's Day 

-Alternative hen dos with Prosecco and Pottery Painting or Life drawing class 

-Alternative wedding lists whereby each guest can paint a piece of crockery using a colour scheme pre-selected by the couple. 

-Dementia friendly art and pottery painting classes 

-Classes for those with Special Educational Needs 

-Specialist skill classes e.g. calligraphy, life drawing, face painting 

-'Express Yourself' stress relief art evenings  

A bit about me: I have always been creative and studied arts based classes at A Level, followed by a textiles based degree. After graduating I went on to have a successful career in retail management, a skill that I can most definitely apply to this project. In addition to having my own 4 year old boy, I have also worked as a children's music and movement teacher so am well versed in the creative minds of children. I have been creating and selling customised art pieces for a number of years now via word of mouth recommendations and a Facebook page. The majority of these have been A-Z pictures where each letter is represented by a landmark or place that is special to the individual who has commissioned the piece. After realising that the satisfaction of the business came from the process of drawing and painting, I wanted to then encourage others to share this experience too. I started hosting craft parties for my friends and family in my home which are such fun! The best thing about them is that the people with the least artistic ability often have the biggest laugh. It really doesn't matter what the end product is like. One of my friends had an ambitious idea for a homemade Christmas bauble which didn't really go to plan so it ended up as a toy for her cat! 

It's the process, not the product: It was found that just 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessons stress in the body, regardless of any artistic experience or talent. Harvard Medical School found that creative activities such as painting pottery can aid communication and help arrest cognitive decline. Their studies have shown how art helps people with depression, anxiety and dementia. The business that I aim to create from this crowdfunding project will allow people to come to somewhere that they can relax and enjoy being creative alongside like minded people. 

Where will your money go?: Any money raised will go to both securing a retail premises in Morpeth and sourcing initial craft supplies to give the business a good start. As a single parent it is difficult to fund this all myself, despite working full time so any pledge you can make will be very much appreciated. I have listed a number of rewards as a means of saying thank you to you for your help. Please take a moment to check these out and make a pledge if you can.

Thank you,

Elle