We were lucky to catch up with Claire Turner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Claire, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

About two years ago, my husband and I courageously led a team of passionate ministry leaders into establishing our non-profit organization, Summit Outdoor Leadership. While I experience a lot of fulfillment from my position as the Director of Programs at Summit, I found myself hungry for a creative outlet in the midst of launching our new organization. Hence began my little side hustle of Summit Collective, where I get to express my creative side by teaching craft workshops and creating handmade goods. I started the Collective with the intention of promoting other artists’ work, but over time it has developed into more of an opportunity to empower individuals to embrace the discomfort of creativity out of their realm of experience and invite them into the creative process. While my main focus is on programs with Summit Outdoor Leadership, I’m able to intentionally dedicate time to teaching Summit Collective workshops in order to help fund the non-profit work we do. It’s exciting to know that even though I’m having a ton of fun crafting, I’m simultaneously funding our dream so we can equip leaders in the outdoors. Plus, seeing others create beautiful pieces of art brings joy to my heart!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a former teacher and the daughter of an artist, I’ve always found myself passionate about teaching the creative arts. I used to paint, sew, and craft with my mother growing up, and now as a mom of 3 daughters, I spend a lot of time enjoying creative activities with my own girls. Since becoming a mom almost 9 years ago, I’ve felt the urge to be creative while still allowing for the flexibility of the stay-at-home-mom life. So when my first daughter was just an infant, I started an Etsy shop where I found fulfillment in designing and creating t-shirts and personalized home decor.
As my fascination with handmade goods grew, I started creating more and more unique products — small purses and tea towels, graphic tees, layered leather earrings, hand-lettered signs, and more. Currently, my main focus area is on seed bead earrings, which I learned from watching multiple YouTube videos and practicing on a variety of sizes and colors of beads.
My earrings are now featured in my pop-up boutique at local vendor events, on Etsy, and in a sweet little gift shop in southern Colorado. You can find them featured on my Facebook page, Summit Collective Workshop, or on Etsy at www.summitcollectiveshop.etsy.com. I’m constantly getting inspired by new styles and designs, so there’s always something new to find in my shop!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In a society that thrives on consumerism, it’s hard for small businesses to be noticed amidst the loudness of big box industries. While it’s great to have access to low prices and high quantities of goods, consumers often overlook small businesses because of price or convenience. However, it’s important for consumers to know the amount of time, effort, and care that go into handmade goods, and to understand what a big impact their purchases make for small business owners.

I truly believe that if our society focused more on supporting small businesses and encouraging the creative arts, we’d have a more sustainable economy because we would be supporting individuals and their families in more tangible ways. If we focused on more intentional purchases rather than frivolously spending on fading fads, we would be teaching future generations to shop more conscientiously and impactfully.

Also, the creative arts are slowly dying in our society because the culture of busyness prevents individuals from finding peace and space to create in healthy ways. If we, as a society, could offer more support for the creative arts and small businesses, I believe we could really thrive for generations to come.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My creative journey with Summit Collective stems from the desire to support our non-profit organization. Because of my craft workshops and pop-up shop, I’m able to help support the work our family is doing for Summit Outdoor Leadership while also enjoying intentional creative time. Not only do I feel fulfilled from creating handmade items, but also from teaching others to embrace the discomfort of new crafts and to enjoy their beautiful creations as they proudly share them with the world. I have two main goals: One is to inspire individuals to get in touch with their creative side. The other is to inspire small business owners to get creative in how they fund their endeavors. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and try something new to get unexpected positive results. And you might even have a little fun along the way!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.summitcollectiveshop.etsy.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/summitcollectiveworkshop
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/summitcollectiveworkshop

Image Credits
Photos by Claire Turner