L isa ThomasThe arT of CreaTing

Lisa Thomas, the creative pioneer behind The Art of Creating, is many things to many people — a mother and wife, an event guru, and a creative entrepreneur. With an uncanny eye for soulful pieces, places, and artists, and a deep appreciation of history, meaning, and talent, she has dedicated her career and business to showcasing the work of artists, craftsmen, and creatives.

Whether it is a corporate event, a flower arrangement, or a wedding, Lisa is driven to elevate others’ experiences over her own. She prefers operating behind the scenes, shining the spotlight on others. Like a true Southern hostess, if you’re not having fun, then neither is Lisa. From florals to apparel, flatware, event rentals, and wedding planning, Lisa has built an award-winning Southern event, wedding, and beauty empire. Producing over 150 events a year, and with 40 employees on staff, The Art of Creating portfolio now includes specialty boutiques, a 25,000-square-foot design center, a fleet of vehicles, and has many asking, “What will Lisa do next?”

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I grew up in a small town in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania on a mountain with one neighbor — and that was my mother’s sister. Resourceful and energetic, we spent countless days building forts, hiking, making up games, and playing sports. Like many children back then, we were good at entertaining ourselves. My mother was crafty and made sure we kept busy. We filled our days with playing golf and piano, making stained glass windows and pottery, and even small stints with macramé and knitting.

Golf would eventually lead me to Penn State, where I played at the collegiate level. My love of attending events as an athlete transitioned into a career running professional sporting events for The New York Times magazine group. It would eventually lead me to relocate down South and then to Charleston with the Family Circle Cup Tennis tournament in 2000. As a tournament director, my primary focus was on event planning: running sporting events, corporate events, and sponsor sales, and fulfilling the creative side of planning and executing.

After college and before I started my company, The Art of Creating, I would sell curated finds from my garage or out of friends’ living rooms. I had a passion for relics and history, and loved the creative process of fixing antiques. Being completely self-funded, these home-based pop-up shows allowed me to move items I had picked up along my travels (rugs, furniture, artwork, antiques) and start saving for the future.

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“onLy Those who wiLL risk going Too far Can possibLy find ouT how far one Can go.”

— T.s. eLioT

Thus began the slow process of reinvesting and growing, until I opened Out of Hand, my first brick-and-mortar storefront in 1996 in Beaufort, South Carolina. It was located in an 800-square-foot abandoned building that many people had overlooked. The property was in need of love, and I was drawn to it! I knew in my heart that with some attention and work, a warm, comfortable, and inspiring space would unveil itself.

In conjunction with my full-time corporate job and investing in another new shop, Out of Hand, I showcased artists in monthly shows. To this day, I still find great satisfaction in discovering and showcasing up-and-coming talent. Events were the medium I used to be part of the creative process, even before I had a store where I could promote artists and designers. I was doing what I needed to do to provide for my family — I worked hard, I waited, I was patient, and I was persistent.

When I was transferred to Charleston by The NY Times to lead the development of the Family Circle Tennis Center, Out of Hand had to come with us. Although there are so many lovely parts to Charleston, moving to the area known as The Old Village was the obvious choice for me. The Old Village has great bones and there is something about the human scale and warmth of the place that felt like coming home. When we moved here, the little strip was pretty much abandoned; the restaurant was between owners, there were empty storefronts, and the Pitt Street Pharmacy (which still serves lunch and floats) was the only gem on the street. I saw the “for rent” sign in the window of 113 Pitt Street, and another project and adventure began.

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How to Make Your Business idea a realitY

• A lot of people have good ideas, but translating that into reality is where the rubber meets the road. So spend time on the plan, research competition, and talk to fellow business owners. Visualize what your successful business looks like and keep focused on your vision.

• Put one foot in front of the other. You have to start somewhere. If you think about all the moving pieces, it can be overwhelming. Begin with the website or a pop-up shop, and start translating your vision into reality.

• You need a good working knowledge of all facets of your business. You can work for businesses in the same field, or study the competition. Understand your strengths and the skill set you need to hire to round out your team.

• If you do not have a trust fund, partner, or a bank to finance your start-up, you may have to start small and reinvest your earnings to build working capital to fund your growth. This can take longer, but this will put you in control of your company and not a funding partner. Think carefully before you take someone’s money.

• We may be born with right brain or left brain tendencies, but it’s important to build both the creative and the business mind equally to be successful.

• Say thank you! Your customers can spend their money anywhere and they have chosen you. That is a gift, so don’t take it for granted!

• Don’t worry about your competition. Use your energy to stay ahead of them and don’t waste your energy on worrying — it doesn’t have a good return.

• Don’t let fear hold you back. I was so afraid of failure that I got a much slower start than I would have preferred, and I still have to keep this in check.

• Keep evolving! The world changes all the time, and as a business you have to keep up. After 20 years in business, I try to change three things each year. I know it drives my team crazy, but it keeps our customers and competition wondering what is next.

Now nearly two decades later, a fleet of creative Charleston-based businesses and services call Pitt Street their home and headquarters. The Art of Creating celebrates collective creativity through a multi-dimensional experience, so all involved enjoy an environment of artistic expression, comfort, and inspiration. Our umbrella of creative shops and businesses include a boutique, a floral design business, Southern gifts, an organic beauty bar, an event rental company, a design business, and corporate and wedding planning.

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Overcoming self-doubt and fear may have delayed my ability to jump in with both feet when I was younger, but my vision to create an experience for all the senses, not just a store, is now the reality of our parent company, The Art of Creating. We highlight artisans below the Mason Dixon in SOUTH; educate people on the benefits of organic beauty and makeup at Ooh Beautiful; share floral inspiration at Out of the Garden; make women feel good about themselves at Out of Hand boutique; and make any special occasion memorable and unique with Ooh Events!

Today, I get to watch what collective talents can create. I always say that I am merely a conduit through which so much goodness can flow. I love to watch as ladies come in the door for the first time — people telling stories, laughing, giving compliments, and the constant buzz of “ooh” and “ahh.” It’s all part of the wonderful spiral of good energy that is the result of the businesses we have created. It’s powerful to witness and great medicine for the soul.

It takes courage to let yourself lose sight of the past and just let go, embrace the unknown, and chase your dreams. Like raising your first-born child, you start with ideas, plans, and a lot of love, but you never know where the road will take you or what the future has in store. It’s all about perseverance! You will never get to the other side if you give up. There are days you will wonder, there are days when you are afraid, and there are problems you might not yet have a solution to, but tomorrow is a new day and brings a new perspective. Trust your instincts and your ability to find the answers … they will come!

Where Women Create BUSINESS would like to thank Lisa Thomas for her involvement in our winter issue. To learn more, visit artofcreating.com, oohevents.com, and shopoutofhand.com. Follow along on Instagram (@oohevents, @outofthegarden, @shopoutofhand, @oohbeautiful, @shopinthesouth).

Article written by Vail Duggan on behalf of Lisa Thomas.

Photography by Marni Rothschild. Learn more in Traveling Companions on page 138.

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