What inspired you to start Art & Grind, and how did the idea evolve from concept to reality?
I’ve wanted to get back into the arts my entire career after completing a Fine Arts Degree when I was young and then making choices to put my arts on the back burner through my adult life. When the pandemic hit and I saw so many struggling artists with no revenue stream, others suddenly gifted with their own time to create during lockdowns and I had my own time to reflect, I knew now was the time to build something to encourage arts and support artists in our community to keep going. Now was my time to get back to my passion and to make this vision a reality. So I sat down and took my thoughts and put them into a business case. I didn’t really sleep for 3 days – it all came out and the concept was in black and white and for the first time looked feasible. It was time to go.
Art & Grind has such a unique concept. How do you blend the worlds of art and a café space to create a cohesive experience for customers?
Being an artist is a daily grind, thus the desire to pull coffee into the equation to make a safe space where all can come and learn, share, create and support the arts. Coffee/tea/hot chocolate/chai… these are comfort drinks. Pair that with a cookie or cake and voila, you instantly have a comfort zone – now combine that with an area for some that is a bit scary, stepping into your creative self, and maybe, just maybe some coloured pencils or a paintbrush on the table will get them to doodle, to paint, to create. Then boom, the artist within is awoken. That’s the goal. Whether it is with someone else or by yourself in your own zone, it doesn’t matter. Just create in an environment that surrounds you with art, inspiration and affirmation.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when launching your business, and how did you overcome it?
It’s always the money and where to spend it, isn’t it? I knew this concept was going to be hard for some to grasp – are we an art gallery, are we a makers space, are we a café, are we a lunch spot? How do I create the space layout, signage/logo, menu, supplies and partner with the right artists and other independents to pull this off? Oh yeah, and make enough profit to keep doing it week after week. I knew I didn’t want to have investors, I wanted the ability to own this vision and put my own financing and funds into it, but oof that is scary. Retail on the High Street is VERY hard to make work and we all know there are coffee shops everywhere – this had to be different. It’s a risk and I had to take deep breaths and believe in the dream and accept the fact that it may not work. That had to be ok. But I also had to know what I didn’t know. That’s when I decided I needed to outsource things like my financial reporting (thus my hiring of ChadSan!), HR support, and a really good team on the ground that I paid a living wage and brought them into the mission fully on day one with full transparency. That is scary when you are trusting a concept and asking others to do the same.
How do you find and collaborate with the artists who display their work in Art & Grind?
Honestly they come to us! I started by building the social presence and building up excitement in what we were doing hoping that they would agree and come join us. I had no idea if any artist would trust us with their precious gifts, but we were quickly overwhelmed by the response and the submissions. My instinct had been right that artists just need a safe space where they are celebrated and their work can be seen, and just maybe where they can even sell and support their creative efforts. That’s the dream. If we can help artists not have to make the choice to put their tools down to support themselves, we keep more art in the world. I think they get that and believe in that.
How have you managed the balance between running a business and maintaining your passion for art and creativity?
Oof that’s a tough one. It’s only been six months so maybe I’m not there yet. I had grand ideas that I would be surrounded by the arts and it would compel me to get back into my own artistic projects, but no time yet. For now, this business is my passion and it is (I hope) breeding new / returning artists and that’s enough. The absolute joy of seeing an artist’s face when their work is on display or when they get that ‘red dot’ notification that their art has sold and someone loved their work is everything to me. Or when someone says they finally have a space they feel safe in and that they can create without fear or judgment, it breaks my heart to hear all the stories of when art teachers told them they didn’t have talent. That’s the motivator.
