Discover the Artist in You

You don’t have to be an artist to realize that human beings are naturally creative. Because creativity can manifest itself in many ways. For instance, maybe you’re a creative problem solver. Or a creative manager. Or you have a flair for always knowing what looks “just right” when arranging your furniture or decorating your home.

The point is, each of us is born with some form of the “creativity gene.” Sometimes, it just needs a little coaxing to express itself.

At Board & Brush, we specialize in helping you unleash your innate creativity through DIY workshops. Even if you believe you don’t have an artistic bone your body, we’ll empower and equip you to make a truly one-of-a-kind work of art. All while relaxing and having a great time with friends or family.

To gain some first-hand perspective, we talked to a few participants at a recent workshop in Hartland, Wisconsin. Some were experienced workshoppers; others were there for the first time. All of them came away with projects they could be proud of.

Sherry, from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, has been to several workshops before this one. She likes how straightforward the process is, and the reactions she gets when she brings her projects home.

“I’m not really creative, but this makes it easy,” she said. “And you feel like you were creative! And my family loves the projects I bring home. They can’t believe the stuff that I do.”

Katy, from Waukesha, Wisconsin, is also a workshop veteran. She keeps coming back because she loves the satisfaction of being able to give handmade gifts to people she loves, whether it’s for Christmas, bridal showers, weddings, and other occasions.

She also loves how easy it is – the stencils mean she doesn’t have to paint anything freehand. And yet, because there are so many options and ways to personalize every project, each different sign is completely unique. Tonight she’s working on a Father’s Day gift for her dad: a personalized sign for his cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Judging from experience, she’s pretty sure he’ll like it.

“The first thing I made was probably three years ago, and it was for my sister’s bridal shower, and that was my gift I gave to her,” Katy remembers. “She loved it, and it’s been hanging up in her house ever since.”

Amy, a teacher from Jackson, Wisconsin, on the other hand, makes her signs “all for myself,” she says with a laugh. “I have a lot of boards, for different seasons and what not. This one’s going in my classroom. I always try to find signs that ‘belong’ somewhere.”

She also loves the sense of satisfaction she gets from making something with her own two hands.

“A lot of people would rather just buy something than make it,” she says. “But this is really cool, because when I take my stuff home, my husband’s like, ‘You made that?” I’m like, “Yeah, I made that!”

And if you have any doubts that anybody can succeed at a Board & Brush workshop, just consider that Alyssa, the instructor that night – and the National Training Manager for Board & Brush – is herself “not crafty, not artistic at all.”

“I can’t draw a circle!” she says. “So it’s cool that I can help people go from being terrified of what’s in front of them, to using the power tools, to walking out with a huge smile on their face, and they can’t wait to come back. Then when they do come back, they’re the pros who are showing their friends how to do it.

“And it shows that everyone really does have an artist inside them,” she says. “Even me!”