As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series,
this week we sat down with Shelancia Daniel, Creative Director of The Creativity Shell!
Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?
The Creativity Shell a nonprofit organization on a mission to use creative trades to educate and inspire the next 
generation of makers. Our organization teaches classes such as sewing/textile arts, cooking, building, fencing, pottery and other creative trades to students in their studios, libraries, schools, ABA therapy centers, the juvenile justice system as well as shelters that rescue children from homelessness and human trafficking. All classes are designed to teach children essential life skills, practical skills, and positive mental health coping skills. The organization was formed in 2015 and opened their first studio in Kingwood in 2016.
How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? How did the business get started?
I started the Creativity Shell in 2015 because I wanted to teach sewing classes to local children. I’ve been sewing since I was 4 years old and actually got expelled from Kindergarten because I wasn’t allowed to bring my sewing kit into class. When I moved to Kingwood in 2014, it was a difficult move and I needed to do something creative to placate my own mental health. Sewing has always been therapy for me and I wanted to use it as a way to teach others to let it me a coping mechanism for them as well. Aside from teaching classes in my own home, I began teaching classes at the Kingwood library, at local schools, sex trafficking
shelters, homeless shelters and then our own Kingwood studio which opened in 2016.
Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
Sewing and cooking classes are the two most popular classes at the Creativity Shell. We’ve also started teaching fencing classes, pottery, art, media and other creative classes as well.
Each year, our organization hosts a major fashion show “Creativity Rocks” at the Humble Civic Center where students get to make their own clothes and rock it down the runway! Another popular Creativity Shell event is our semi-annual Munchkin Market in December and March. K-12 students make their own handmade items, and they sell it to the public. Students get to keep all the money they
make, and these events are just another way the Creativity Shell fulfill their mission to educate and inspire the next generation of makers!
What is your favorite part of running this business?
My favorite part of running the Creativity Shell is being a positive role model to the children in the community. For the last 8 years, I’ve watched children go from car seats to their first sewing classes or from middle school to college. I hear their stories of growth and success and I’m blessed to be a part of their creative journey.
Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?
Most of our customers are K-8 students. For high school students who have been in our programs, we are now able to hire them to work in the studio and that ecosystem is very important to our future growth and success. In Summer 2023, we had 5 high school students working as teachers at our camps and that was awesome to be a part of.
Can you tell us something about yourself as the business owner? What is your background?
I am an extremely divergent person. I have a technical diploma as a costume designer that I received from the Academy of Design in Toronto, Canada. I have a bachelor’s degree in finance from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Texas A&M University. I love creating things and I love thinking outside the box to create new things. Aside from sewing and cooking, I love designing websites, 
t-shirts, posters, and flyers!
Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention?
The Creativity Shell will be celebrating their 7th and 8th birthday on Saturday, August 26th from 10AM – 1PM. Swing by the open house and see what we have been up to.
On September 4, 2023, we will be hosting our first Labor Day, Family Day! Families can register for classes such as cooking, sewing, pottery, string art and marble paint pouring!
On December 2, 2023, we will be hosting our Holiday Munchkin Market from 10AM – 2PM.
Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
Not every student is a sport student and that’s okay. Many of our classes offer students an alternative to sports 
and the sports we do offer are great for students who prefer individual sports rather than team sports. We also believe that positive self-confidence, self-esteem, and mental health are the keys to success in our children. The focus of our classes/programs is to build those positive elements in our children, so they are at less risk for hidden dangers such as human trafficking, homelessness and the juvenile probation system.
How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
We need more staff on our crew that can help us address the mental health of our students. We also plan to offer more programs for adults.
For more information about The Creativity shell, visit their
website!
3939 Glade Valley Drive
Kingwood, TX 77339
