Arts, Crafts and Small Business Success in Danbury

DANBURY, CT — Create Escape, a pottery, arts and crafts studio in Danbury first hung out its shingle on Dec. 15 of 2018. Even in the retail run-up to Christmas, there was zero reason to think that a DIY arts and crafts operation would be as successful as it is, as quickly as it was.

Size may, in fact, matter. Create Escape is enormous, as art studios go. It can hold up to 32 people in the main studio, and even more if the crew breaks down a few tables. That doesn't even account for the private party room in the back, which can accommodate 20 creative souls.

"Accommodate" is the right word, too.

"That's what we're here for," said Heather Dann, the studio's owner, operator and founder. "To help you do your own thing."

Some customers have a pretty good handle on what their thing is. Some need a little nudge to their muse.

"I had a dad come in the other day who just blew my mind," Dann said. "He made the most beautiful Irish-themed plate, with the family name, with a leprechaun guy on it, and he didn't need my help at all. And then there are some people who overthink just painting purple. We're here to help them, either way."

Patience is one of Dann's principal virtues, honed teaching art to children from kindergarten through 8th grade at the Montessori School in Danbury. Prior to the teaching gig, Dann had done some part-time studio work after she graduated from Central Connecticut State in 2013, having majored in art with a concentration in ceramics. When The Patch pointed out that the path from art major to successful businesswoman is one but lightly trodden, Dann spun philosophically:

"I think that if (a career in art) is something you've always wanted to pursue you should definitely try it. I mean, what's the harm, you know? If it's successful, that's great, that's amazing for you. If it's not, at least you learn from it. You're never going to go into something brand new and say you didn't learn anything from it."

Is it just that simple? No, and Dann knows it, too. When pressed she acknowledges the early success she is having with Create Escape is "definitely all about marketing yourself and finding out who your clientele is."

Know her clientele, she clearly does. Events such as painting beer steins held at Charter Oak Brewery in Danbury ("Crafting with Craft Brews") and a ladies night out painting and silk screening sassy sayings and naughty words onto various media ("Potty Mouth Pottery") are catnip for Hat City Hockneys.

But the bread and butter of Dann's business isn't these regularly scheduled and well-promoted events, oddly enough. It's the walk-in trade.

"We are in a location that is very residential. So we get a lot of people (dropping by) saying, 'you know, I used to do this with my grandmother,' or 'I saw this and I thought this would be such a fun place!' So they'll come in on the weekend because they've been driving by it every day on the way home from work."

Besides its signature clay and ceramics, Create Escape also offers customers the opportunity to work on canvas, or even with fused glass. There is no shortage of tools and media in which to get lost. Some clients, like the Irish dad, know exactly what they want to do, and others have not given it much thought past knowing they wanted to make something. That's when Dann and her two assistants get busy.

"We are happy to sit with them: 'Is it for your bathroom? Is it for you or for your friend? Do you have a favorite character from a show? What's your favorite color?' Dann laughed. "We will have them design something around that, help get their creative juices flowing."

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The only speed bump in the path of the studio's trajectory might be it getting too popular, too soon. Dann believes much of Create Escape's success is due to its cozy charm.

"We're a big studio, but we try to keep it very homey. People feel comfortable bringing their families and their kids here. It's all about making tangible memories with your family."

Create Escape Studio is located at 18 Great Plain Road in Danbury.