Parallel play isn’t just a milestone for toddlers. Found and Formed creates a space where parents can flex their creative muscles right alongside their kiddos, each working on age-appropriate crafts while fueled by coffee or juice boxes.
Courtney Creek, with the support of her husband, Michael, found her calling earlier this year by combining her faith and love of art into pop-up experiences hosted at coffee shops and event spaces. Born out of a season of not feeling rested or fulfilled in corporate life, Courtney kept returning to the things she loved as a child.
“That’s where the idea came to help people slow down, rest, and build community,” she says.
Art is ingrained in who she is and who she believes she was created to be, Courtney explains. As a child, her room was always covered in art supplies, giving her an outlet for whatever was on her mind.
“People always ask me what my favorite medium is, but I am open to every art experience,” she says. “In this season of life, everyone is so tired of the digital world and hustle culture—everyone’s ready to go analog and find something they enjoy doing outside of looking at a screen all day.”
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Each event features a craft menu with options including ink art, watercolor painting, bracelet making, and more. Family-focused pop-ups also include a kids’ menu with activities for all ages, from coloring pages to homemade playdough.
“People say, ‘What if I’m not good at art?’ But we have something for everyone on our menu, so if someone feels uncomfortable with watercolor, we have a bracelet charm bar that anyone can do that feels more entry level,” Courtney says.
A recent pop-up at Kairos Studios on Main Street in St. Charles felt like a breath of fresh air, Courtney describes, with welcoming faces and the quiet calm that comes from settling into a creative flow.
“We’re amateur artists, but we’re coffee people,” Meredith McNeil says of herself and her sister, Miranda Watts.
With help from outlines hand-drawn by Courtney, the sisters completed watercolor paintings of fruit that looked ready to frame.
While Found and Formed keeps staple crafts on every menu, Courtney also plans to rotate seasonal projects throughout the year. Admission is $40 for adults and $20 for kids and includes all materials, plus one drink ticket.
“It’s like Painting with a Twist, but better, because I don’t know what to do with the painting when I’m done—it doesn’t usually fit my home décor,” says Claire Vani, who opted for the jewelry-making experience because she knew she’d actually wear the finished piece.
For now, Found and Formed hosts two pop-ups each month while the business continues to grow, with hopes of expanding to weekly events. Courtney looks for venues throughout the St. Louis area that fit the experience while embracing the unique community and culture of each neighborhood and making art as accessible as possible.
“We love kids and families. We encourage everyone to create like they’re a kid again, with that childlike sense of wonder,” Courtney says.
To register for an upcoming event or host a pop-up, visit foundandformedart.com or follow @byfoundandformed on Instagram.
