Art Comes To Life In Stuffed Creatures

The potential for a business is endless. There are so many unique ideas, some that people haven’t touched on yet and some that people have, that can turn into something very successful. The real trick is finding that diamond in the rough and doing something with it.

Then there is a woman like Karen Lefebvre-Christou who not only created a business but also created a way to bring joy to sick children as well. Through art2life and her little artlings, she is able to take a child’s drawing and turn it into a physical creation that can be held.

Anyone can purchase an artling made from a piece of their child’s art through her website. Outside of her business she takes the time to go to hospitals and turn the drawing of a sick child into a physical doll they can love for a long time.

What is art2life? When was your business started?

art2life is a company that brings people’s drawings (art) to life in the form of a soft sculpture/stuffed doll/pillow. The concept originated as a gift idea I whipped up really quickly for a friend’s toddler as a holiday gift in 2005. In the spring of 2006, I made a dozen more for my son’s pre-school teachers as an end of the year gift. Once the parents and kids saw the artlings (I don’t think they really understood the concept until they saw the finished product), they were so enthusiastic and gave me such positive feedback that I decided to start a business from home.

What was the inspiration behind it?

The inspiration for the first artling was my son Alexander’s first drawing of our cat, Scooby. Alexander was about 3 years old and I was so in love with this rendition of Scoobs that I wanted to preserve it in some way. I have always been drawn to children’s art – it’s so pure. They just put crayon to paper and emit whatever is in their heart onto paper. They don’t think too much, they just do what comes to them – they are not focused on perfection, just on creating. I think it is extremely valuable to capture that in a long-lasting, huggable form.

According to your About Us page, I noticed that you go to hospitals as well as other organizations which help children in need and you create artlings for them using their own doodles. How did you get into doing something of that sort? What are some of the benefits you’ve seen from it?

While I was exhibiting my work at various holiday bazaars and shows, a few people came up to me and told me I should market to parents of kids with cancer or to hospices. I thought, what a great gift, but how could I charge someone for that? But the idea of reaching out to people who were ill or had special needs kept gnawing at me. I remembered how I felt as a child in the hospital and how I felt as a teen and how I felt as an adult in the hospital and thought how wonderful it would have been if I had been able to have a bit of control over my day, how great it would have felt to have been productive in some way during a time when all I could really do was lie in a bed and stare at the tv. Because of my medical past and present, I know what it is like to be looked at as a diagnosis, or be thought of as “special” because of an illness, rather than just because of who I am. I wanted to change that for kids and adults in the same situation.

I was so motivated about the potential I saw for bringing smiles to children who needed some fun that I just made a few calls, and spoke with some people about my idea. It all came together rather quickly and painlessly. I have to say that the organizations I have worked with so far (CHOP and Ronald McDonald House of Camden) really made it easy for me. They know the value of special activities for the kids and were so supportive from the first phone call.

The benefits I have seen have reached far beyond just the children involved. The children are so proud – they have created this beautiful creature, and they are the only one in the whole world to have one! They just can’t believe their eyes. The parents are so amazed to see their child’s art in a permanent, huggable form. To see a part of their child’s imagination brought to life is really special. The organizations I have worked with have responded very favorably and they have said they would welcome more workshops in the future. I have received benefits as well, a kind of emotional healing for the little girl who spent so much time being poked and prodded in hospitals.

What kind of investment did you need to make to build your business up to what it is today?

To tell you the truth, up to this point, most of my investment has been in time. Financially, I have been able to keep things really low-budget, and grow the business slowly. Since I am currently the only employee, things have had to stay pretty simple and controlled. As I proceed with setting up my non-profit side of the business, I will have to invest more time and money, as I’ll have to get more people involved to help administer and sew.

Did you have any previous knowledge that you were able to apply when you started art2life?

I have an undergraduate degree in Intercultural Communication and a master’s in Education. I believe that most of the knowledge I have that has been applied to my business is personal life experience.

What are some of the important lessons you’ve learned since you began?

I have learned that I need to follow my heart. That is how I have gotten this far – that and a lot of prayer. I just know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and I get feedback to that effect every day. I have learned to trust my instincts and not to be afraid of putting myself and my product out there. I have also learned that I need to set boundaries to protect my time with my family. When you work from home in your own business, the lines can get blurred. I know I need to schedule my work day and then let it end so I can be 100% with my family.

Do you have any long term goals, what are they?

Oh, I have a big vision. I see taking this non-profit side of my business first Philly-wide and then nation-wide. I would love to see artlings workshops in Children’s Hospitals, homeless shelters and in other various organizations all over the U.S. I would also like to start exhibiting copies of the children’s artlings in a traveling art show in children’s museums all over the country, to empower and inspire kids and adults with the healing power of art.

Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

That is a good question. I am really pleased with how my business has organically just led me along to each next step. If I could change anything, it would probably be to be a bit more organized from the get-go as far as administration. I wish I had put the non-profit together sooner, so I could get funding now to keep up the workshops. But then again, the idea for the non-profit sort of developed over time, so I can’t say I even had this in my original business plan. Overall, I have to say I am pretty satisfied with how things have developed, I just wish I could speed the paperwork along!

What kind of business pland did you create to get started? How has it changed?

My husband bought me a “6 Week to Start-Up” book when I decided to make a go of art2life. The book walked me through making a business plan, but at that point I was more focused on getting the legal aspects taken care of and my marketing materials ready. I wrote a few things up, but I guess you would call it more of a “fluid” business plan. Basically, it was just me + my fabrics + my studio + my time + my graphic designer husban = artings.

What do you like and dislike about working out of your home?

I love the flexibility. I love that my son gets to see what I am doing and gets involved with the projects, learns the names of the kids, studies their drawings. I love that my work day ends when it’s time to pick Alexander up from the bus stop, and I have the whole rest of the day with him. Cons of working from home is that it is hard for me to resist throwing in that load of laundry, or loading the dishwasher to try to keep up while I am working. One load of laundry leads to running errands, which leads to other time-busters and then my workday dissipates. I have had to get really strict about keeping my workday as sacred as my family time.

Was there one piece of advice you found especially beneficial to you, what was it? What kind of advice would you give someone looking to start their own home business?

When I first considered starting this business, someone told me to be careful not to undervalue what I do. Art is a very subjective product, and the amount of time I put into each piece (5-6 hours) is time I could be spending doing something else. My time and skill have value and I need to honor that.

I would have to tell someone who is starting their own business from home (especially if it is a mom!) to do it only if they are passionate about it, and are able to set clear boundaries/priorities. That not only brings a great deal of joy into the equation, but it also clarifies expectations and roles in family life.

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