Learn how to be creative with Claire Waite Brown’s podcast community!

Podcasts can be a great media for building community, and this is especially true with shows based in a niche. When Claire Waite Brown started Creativity Found (a podcast about finding creativity as adults) she quickly found that it was inspiring people to share their own experiences. But it was also inspiring people to find their own creative outlet. And for some people, finding creativity as an adult was difficult without guidance.

That is why Claire started the Creativity Found memberships, to connect the creatively curious with the creativity confident. We asked her more about what the community offers to members – as well as how the community helps Claire as well…

What does membership offer your community?

I run two memberships. One to help anyone that is creatively curious get past whatever is holding them back and give them access to new creative activities and experiences to try. The other supports and promotes businesses that teach creative activities or sell kits and supplies. All members have access to monthly online meetups, an online members’ pack with arts and crafts and business resources, a private chat group, money-saving discounts for arts and crafts events and activities, and opportunities to meet other members in real life to go to arts events that their family or other friends might not be so keen on going to. Business members get a dedicated page on the Creativity Found website explaining how they can help you get creative, with links to their own websites and social media accounts, plus opportunities for podcast appearances and adverts.

How did you realise there was a need for this more in-depth membership?

The podcast episodes were getting such a good response that I wanted to take that inspirational aspect further and share opportunities for listeners to follow in the footsteps of my guests and access their own ‘creativity found’. Like many of my guests, I am self-employed, and I understand how isolating that can be. The small business owners that join the Create a Scene membership are in the same boat, and I knew I wanted them to be connecting with each other and sharing their highs and lows. You tend to think you are alone in a particular predicament, but usually you’re not, and someone else who has been there may be able to help you, or even just chatting through the situation can lighten the load. I wanted to connect creative business owners with each other and with more customers, and connect those looking for creativity with small businesses that I trust and can recommend.

What’s been the reaction from people who have signed up as members?

Supportive. It’s a great community and now each member knows that other members are their cheerleaders, as well as me of course. There have also been some collaborations on events, which I love.

One thing creators can find difficult is deciding on their ‘value’ in literal terms. Can you give us an idea of how you went about valuing yourself and deciding on price bands?

I pragmatically thought about what I would be willing to pay for the benefits that the membership offers. I also considered what I already pay for groups that I am a member of and get value from. As the Creativity Found community widens, the value that it already offers will organically grow, with no extra cost to the member.

What does the membership give to you as the leader?

A load of new friends, for starters. An insight into all the opportunities there are out there, and the wealth of disciplines for you to try. It turns out that I am a bit of a people person, and a good networker, and there is nothing I like more than being able to connect people with others that can help them, or they just might love to have as a friend.

Is there anything you haven’t done with the Creativity Found community that you would like to do in the future?

A big in-person meetup. That won’t be easy, since we have members from Scotland to Brighton, but I would love to see all members in a big room, showing off their creative talents and teaching others all about their art or craft.

If you are looking for arts and crafts classes, courses, kits or supplies; memberships to support you on your first steps to creativity or help you grow your creative business; or an inspirational podcast telling the stories of adults who have found their creativity as grown- ups, you can find all of this – and more – at creativityfound.co.uk

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