We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daphne Walker, ECMH-E®. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daphne below.

Daphne , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I felt incredibly overwhelmed at the idea of execution so I tapped into my resources and talked to the universe about what i wanted and what i thought i needed. I also talked about the emotions that came with the learning curve. My first task was learning how to find commercial property. I remember committing to relaxing and celebrating for an entire summer with the goal of beginning my business journey in the fall. One Sunday early in the Summer my friends and I went to a day party under a Gazebo . After making a trip back to the car half way thought the party my friend and I run into this guy who was walking a really cute small dog and the dog looked similar to the dog of another friend. We stopped they guys to talk to him about the dog and over time he shared that he was a Commercial Real-estate Agent. We exchanged contact and he supported me with the process, coached and advised me on spaces and leasing negotiations. I learned a lot about the varying types of leases, had a thought partner to support me with considering location, rent terms and planning.

From there I needed to learn about zoning and for this I phoned municipalities to visited townhalls and speak directly to meet directly to the Zoning departments about my business plan to learn about proper licensing and approval boards. This took about 3 months of non stop planning, visits, and research. Once I left that I had located a location that could work for my idea I Called City Hall to learn about the process to set up my business entity. I also looked for free small business coaching & classes.

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

In January 2021 I transitioned away from traditional to open a community-based therapeutic creative space where innovation in art & mental health can thrive collaboratively. After over a decade of working in & advocating for more creativity & innovation in the Human Service field while exploring creative hobbies, I quickly realized that the only way space for something like this would me made was if I took the initiative to make it and that is how Canvas Studio was born.

Canvas Studio proudly stands as as the home of one of the most unique, elevated & authentic creative & therapeutic spaces in New England. The studio is thoughtfully designed to double as a beautiful and flexible micro event space.

We offer an intimate & local space where people can come to exceed the boundaries of their creative limitations, build community, find fellowship & healing, celebrate, connect, refresh and create. and we will continue to work to insure that Canvas Studio becomes Boston’s hub for innovative inclusive, accessible and safe creative space.

My dream is to be able to build a self sustaining and profitable business that is a staple in the community. I foresee this business and model becoming franchised and bring job opportunities to the many communities. I also hope for financial freedom and to pass the business down to my daughter. I’m beginning to see this come to fruition and I am so proud of that.

Our thoughtful planned & elevated studio design combined with in-house Family/ Childhood Early Mental Health specialists allows us the flexibility to host a wide variety of events. The range spans from public & private social communing space to mental health centered programming as well as maximizing the inherent therapeutic qualities of painting while being intentional around incorporating therapeutic curricula and research bard frameworks.

Our mission:
To be bring innovation, accessibility and inclusivity into a safe & therapeutic creative space. While celebrating cultural awareness in a community based setting.

Our purpose:
To create space where there previously had been none.

Canvas Studio is a place for everyone. There is no demographic outside of the scope of our programming. We place high value on building community, supporting mental & emotional health and celebrating cultural expression and individuality. We are always exploring new and innovative ways to highlight, combine and magnify these values.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have lived in Boston and worked as a Social Worker for some times I consider myself new in terms of publicly creating art. I’ve always loved working with people and contributing to memorable experiences for people but in traditional social work creativity was undervalued and a second thought -if though of at all. I struggled with continuously meeting brick walls every time I came up with creative ways to present social work and it was exhausting. So I decided that I was time for me to spearhead the changed that I wanted to see. In January 2021 I resign from my job at a local Community Service Agency and spent six months recovering from the stress of being a marginalized and minimized employee and being my journey to opening and running my art & design studio/ theraputic space. The premise was to create space where the community can access a wide range of art and creative styles and build community over theraputic interactions. As a single mother of one the decision was challenging but necessary. Not only for me and my mental health but it was important for my daughter to have this example, be active in the process and be a stakeholder in the business. On March 11, 2022 ( my daughter/muses 7th birthday) I officially opened the doors to Canvas Studio | The Design Lab. Canvas Studio is a hub for creative space, inclusion and accessibility. We are centered around individuality, community and confidence building and places high value on the inherit theraputic qualities of creating and community. Our mission is remain safe, accessibility and inclusive for all. When narrowing down a direction for my business I reflected on my creative styles and quickly realized how widely they vary. I enjoy everything from painting on canvases to designing wearable art and it was important to me to create a space where creating isn’t narrowed or siloed. There is space at Canvas Studio for all types of creativity and for me that is most important.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I allocated $45000 of my personal savings to start my business. I am 100% self funded. I have no investors or loans.

Contact Info:

• Website: canvasstudiobos.com
• Instagram: canvasstudioboston
• Facebook: canvasstudioboston
• Other: tiktok: canvasstudioboston