Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Kelly

Hi Krista, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I’ve been an artist since I can remember being able to hold a pencil. I’ve been an illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, painter, sculptor, animator, videographer, leatherworker, metalworker, woodworker, resin crafter, jeweler, and many other things over my decades of artistic experimentation but master of none. My mastery comes in the form of learning new mediums, techniques, and processes.

Since I was a child I’ve enjoyed learning new art materials and how best to use them. I’ve been pursuing this passion throughout my artistic career and as such my art has taken on many forms over the years. I’ve held many different jobs in a wide variety of artistic fields ranging from large scale traditional darkroom photography to hand made chemically etched circuit boards to traditional graphic design and freelance illustration to programming a CNC (computer numerical control) and machining prototype parts.

Now, my artistic path is taking me in a completely different direction as I’m pursuing my calling as a small business owner and opening my own board gaming café in my hometown. I’m using this as an opportunity to not only bring together the people of my area with a love of games but also a love of art and artisanal crafts as I plan to host different local artists’ work in my shop. I want to give local artists more of a chance to have their art seen, appreciated, and paid for. I feel this shop is my opportunity to give back to my artistic community as they’ve been so supportive of me over the years.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

The journey to where I am now has not always been an easy one. As an artist there have always been ups and downs of success but the most challenging part of the process has always been the internal struggle within myself. Daily, I battle with ADHD, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and imposter syndrome. Wrestling with these difficulties is a constant battle between staying on the path of motivation and feeling like it would just be better to give up and bury my head in the sand.

To say that I’ve been completely convinced of my own success from the beginning would be a lie. I’ve bounced back and forth between will this or won’t this work as if I’m playing a match of tennis with myself. Some days I feel like I’m sprinting through my to-do list with a fiery motivation and the wind at my back and other days my head is on the desk while I’m paralyzed by fears that I’m really only creating in my own mind.

This constant struggle is my reality but it is also a reminder. When I begin to realize that I am dwelling on fears that don’t exist, it causes me to look back at how far I’ve come already. I can look back and see the times when I was afraid in the past and realize that I got past those times, past those fears. And not only did I get past them but I learned a lot in the process and I am further along because of it. I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not pushed forward, learned, grown, and moved on.

We’ve been impressed with The Treasure Trove, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

The Treasure Trove is a board game café in Wenatchee, WA. This is a personal passion project I’ve been working to build because of my love for games and my desire to build something tangible for my family that incorporates our appreciation for art and spending time together.

Our shop is brand new (in the works) and is set to open early this next year (2025). We plan to offer a wide variety of retail board games to choose from as well as tabletop roleplaying game modules and accessories. We’re going to have over 300 games in our library that gamers can play in-shop where we will offer sit-down space with a variety of table options to choose from. We are designing a café space to provide our customers with delicious beverages and tasty snacks to enhance their gaming experience. We will also have rentable party space as well as two private gaming rooms that will have immersive themed decor and technology that allows gaming parties to control the lighting, music, and even project images like dungeon maps for games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. These rooms will also include an extensive terrain and miniature library for patrons to choose from to enhance their gaming experience.

But above all of these wonderful amenities, the feature that sets us apart from most other retail shops is our customer service. We’re devoted to helping you find adventure here. We know that walking into most board game shops can be confusing and complicated if you don’t already know what you’re looking for. That’s why we’re here. We want to know what you’ve played, what you liked, what you hated, what you never want to play again. Are you hoping to start up a game night with your family at home? What age range are your children? Do they like puzzles or reading? These things can help us tailor-make a selection for you and find the right game for your family.

Family time is important to us at The Treasure Trove. Not sure about the game we picked? Come to the shop on Board Game Night and we’ll try it together to see if you like it! This kind of customer service is falling behind in our world today. I’m hoping that our small shop will be a beacon in the dark to build true personal connection and loyalty back up. Our ultimate goal is to build a community through games and adventure. Whether that be through game nights, classes we offer, trivia nights, after school clubs, or other group gatherings, we’re excited to bring people together at The Treasure Trove.

Any big plans?

Building my game shop (The Treasure Trove) is a huge undertaking and has consumed much of my daily life as well as my artistic time. I spend a lot of time not only doing administrative duties for the shop like communicating with distributors, lawyers, landlords, and accountants, as well as tracking down materials and fixtures, moving, refurbishing, and building furniture, but also doing artistic things like 3D printing and painting terrain and miniatures, creating immersive decor for our private gaming rooms, and more.

Once the shop is officially up and running, my future plans will be to maintain and improve the shop as best I can with whatever funds it receives. I want this space to be obvious to those who set foot in it that the owners care for it and those who enter. We want to provide our customers with a fun, family-friendly experience and we want them to leave feeling like they were genuinely cared for.

This shop will be a big change for our family and take some adjustments and sacrifice in many ways. Thankfully, we’ve been greatly blessed and see this as a way to give back to our area in the best way we know how. The sacrifices we may endure to make this shop a reality are eclipsed by the opportunity to show love to our greater community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://treasuretrovegameshop.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasuretrovegameshop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreasureTroveGameShop/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/trovegameshop
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TreasureTroveGS/videos