Creative Changemakers: NYC Drawing Room
A conversation with Angela, founder of NYC Drawing Room
Welcome to our new interview series, Creative Changemakers. Every month, we will be speaking to a different business owner who is using creativity as a tool to build community and create change!
This month, we spoke with Angela Lee, the friendly and welcoming owner of NYC Drawing Room, a magical third place that rivals your best friend’s living room. We’re so excited to continue this series with Angela, who is this month’s Creative Changemaker who is using creativity as a community building tool to bring people together.
NYC Drawing Room isn’t just a casual third space; it’s a home away from home where you can make friends while doing some creative activities! When you come to NYC Drawing Room, you’re not just crafting or picking up materials from the art library; you’re building a new community! Check out www.nycdrawingroom.com to book your first event today, or walk in during their open hours.
The following is transcribed from an in-person interview between Jane (co-founder of The Creative Directory) and Angela Lee. This interview has been edited for length.
In your own words, what is the NYC Drawing Room about?
“Drawing Room is all about connection through creativity. So imagine a large living room where you can grab a day pass and come by whenever and make art. We've got a great art library near the entrance. You can bring your laptop - You can hang out, read a book, bring your friends, or even bring a date.
It’s just a lot of fun. You can bring a birthday cake and just hang out for as long as you want.”
What was your background and how did you build it?
“So I was working in corporate tech for about eight years, but I've always been a very, very creative person, as you can see. And my other passion was always hosting people. It was very natural to start hosting ceramic workshops around my dinner table in my apartment.
It was really magical to see people connecting in my space. And when we finally moved into this space, I hired a team and, really, everything that you see here and the way that drawing room operates today is a culmination of tiny, tiny decisions that the team has made together.”
Where does the name, Drawing Room, come from?
“Back in the day, when it was in my apartment it used to be called ‘The Living Room’, because it was in my living room.
But when we started to take things a little bit more seriously, it turns out that there are actually a lot of businesses called ‘Living Room’. So we had to find something else. We found that drawing room is a double meaning, right? Because it’s a room in your home that’s a little bit more polished, perhaps, than a den.
And it used to be a word that was used to describe a place where you would entertain guests or have people over or hang out after dinner. So it was perfect in that regard. And then, it also has a drawing in the name, which we do here. So, Drawing Room is where we landed. We think Drawing Room is the perfect place for anyone who is interested in or curious about creativity.”
What does creativity mean to you?
“It's a common misconception that people might think that you're not creative. And I think that’s just not true. Everyone is creative in so many different ways. Anyone who is interested in exploring that, uh, side of them is welcome.
I think the act of creating something is like another language. No one really has the same exact set of experiences, or the same conversations. No one's listened to the same set of music. No one's, you know, tasted the same food as you have. So all of your experiences combined and then you choosing to create something from that experience is deeply, deeply personal, and it's extremely vulnerable to create something new from that perspective.
And then you open it up for others to consume or experience. That's, I think, just one of the truest forms of communication. And that can be very powerful.”
What is your biggest challenge as a business owner?
“Ooh, there are so many to choose from, but I think one of the biggest challenges is that starting a new business just requires so many decisions. There's just like an infinite number of decisions that you need to make on a day-to-day basis. And I've found as a first-time business owner that that sometimes leads to feeling very isolated and very lonely because it's a lot of burden on your shoulders.
So what I've found was really, really helpful was leaning on a team, on our wonderful team of volunteers, and leaning on the community. Asking questions about what people would like to see and kind of letting it be self-sustaining in that way. And that's been a huge, huge help.”
Thank you Angela for interviewing for this series and creating a warm and interactive space for us!
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Until next time,
Your Creativity Guides 👨🎨