Three Generations: Uplifting their Community, One Art Project at a Time

Behind-the-Scenes at Creative Hands Studio

I had the opportunity to meet Creative Hands Studio owner Rinkle Shah, along with her mother Chhaya Shah and her 13-year old daughter Nihalee Patel at their studio on Bothell-Everett Hwy in Mill Creek.

The spacious building with wall-to-wall windows allows natural light to pour in. Colorful paintings and drawings hang from the wall. You can’t help being inspired to look around at all the hundreds of ceramic pieces on display ready to be painted and the art supplies neatly stored in cupboards and shelves.

The day I was there, we found one classroom full of students using pottery wheels and another room had long tables with kids working on hand-built clay projects. Another classroom had several easels with paintings in progress — the students had just headed off to play outside. In the back, kilns were fired up and shelves lined the halls full of student clay projects in various phases waiting to be fired.

But it turns out that there is more than art that inspires this family-owned business.

Building Confidence Through Art

I asked Rinkle if she’d always been an artist. She smiled. “I was exposed to art in the womb,” she laughed pointing to her mother Chhaya, who is a talented henna artist. Rinkle’s father was also artistic, so the influence of art was always around her from a young age. “I made my first painting at age 2,” she added.

“My parents dragged me around to all sort of art competitions as a child. I remember being given a topic and then creating the artwork on the spot in front of the audience,” explained Rinkle. “After winning some of the competitions, I gained confidence. And this is what I want to pass along to my students.”

Beaming, Chhaya added, “She won ALL of the competitions!”

Rinkle told me that what excites her most at her business is watching the kids gain confidence and joy as they complete their projects.

“The kids are so eager to get to class on time, they wake up early. Their enthusiasm is what motivates me to get up and come to work every day.”

Sharing the Creative Entrepreneurial Spirit

Rinkle began teaching art nine years ago in her home. As the business grew, so did her needs for a studio, so she spent five years working in a rented space up the road. Then she and her husband, Grishm Patel, built their current building that is large enough to host painting classes, pottery and ceramics classes, open studio memberships, Sip & Paint events, Birthday Parties, Team Building Experiences and more.

“We designed the rooms to have adjustable walls so we can expand the space when we have bigger events,” she explained. Rinkle manages Art classes and year-round camps with a team of instructors while Grishm manages Pottery and events and oversees studio operations.

You’ll also find Rinkle with her mom, daughter and team of instructors at the local Mill Creek Festival every year. They offer face painting, henna, acrylic painting, and Slime.

“My daughter Nihalee grew up in the booth. When she was small, I gave her some Slime to play with to keep her occupied while I did the face painting and interacted with the customers.” Now, Nihalee is offering her own Slime activity at the fair, carrying on the creative entrepreneurial tradition from her mother.

“This is another thing I’m proud of passing along to the students in our summer camps,” added Rinkle. “Each week we have a Market Day where students can sell some of the crafts they made during the week. We give each student 25 “Studio Bucks” to spend at the market.” Rinkle says she loves hearing the students proudly tell their parents about how much they sold.

The studio also hosts an exhibition quarterly to showcase students’ artwork and invite the parents to come to the studio, share some snacks and spend time getting to know each other.

Creativity to Develop the Brain

With the modern conveniences and AI doing so much of our “thinking” for us, Rinkle is proud to offer creative projects where students work with their hands and develop the brain. “Our art projects give students the benefits of mindfulness and grounding, and help them build confidence in their abilities, social connections and friendships within the community.”

Another business Rinkle and Grishm run at the same location is the UCMAS Mental Math program where kids learn a creative way of doing math with an abacus. They practice with the abacus until new muscle memory forms in the brain and then they can do it. (I hear that the Mental Math kids will be doing a demonstration on the Community Stage at the Mill Creek Festival this year if you want to see a demonstration!)

How refreshing to find a business that keeps kids engaged without screens–cultivating creativity, confidence and connection!

Feeling Inspired and Honored

I left the studio feeling inspired and honored to have spent time with Rinkle and her family. What a gift they are to the community!

Yes, please sign me up for Summer Art Camp!

Connect with Creative Hands Studio:

Creative Hands Studio is more than a place to take an art class. The family-owned business located on the Bothell-Everett Hwy in Mill Creek, WA, with summer art camps, birthday party options, sip & paints, team building has become a vibrant hub for community connection.

Website: https://www.creativehandsstudio.net/
IG: @creativehandsstudio
FB: Creative Hands Studio

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Article by Gayle Picken