A New Type Of Subscription Box That Sustains Creativity And Entrepreneurship For Young People
The subscription box craze has been saturating the market for the past last 5 years and many argue that it’s an unsustainable model that perpetuates the accumulation of unnecessary “stuff”. There’s an overwhelmingly consensus that surprise boxes are considered fun, and most are low cost enough for a risk-free trial run. But many would argue, that the narrative of these boxes need to be rooted in usefulness. We interviewed the founder of a new type of box that reignites consumption habits that preserve creativity and add value to the next wave of young entrepreneurs and creative mavens.
Professional designer and lifelong maker Terina Nicole and her 13 year-old daughter, Jordan, founded the Creative’s Container. It takes the traditional subscription box model but makes it an EXPERIENCE! Every month a new DIY design project will arrive to make everything you need to make chic home décor, jewelry and accessory design projects for young people and adults alike.
Terina Nicole is the founder of Jypsea Leathergoods, a line of leather home goods, handbags, and accessories made from mostly upcycled leather and natural materials. She has a degree in art, which includes a Masters; and she’s been teaching fashion design classes for over 8 years so needless to say, her entire life revolves around making and teaching others to make. Her daughter is simply her “super-creative offspring”. She's an illustrator, graphic designer, film-maker who studies Japanese and robotics.
Creating this subscription service was a natural progression for Terina. In fact, the concept was her daughter’s idea. She helps to design the packaging, any graphic art, and comes up with the project ideas that will be cool enough for teens.
“My daughter brought it to my attention that there must be a way that I can teach more people how to make things by hand without the wear and tear of trekking from every museum, library, school, and camp that hires me. If I put my workshops into kits with all of the materials, tools, and instructions then I could teach the WORLD to design! And that was the birth of The Creative’s Container.”
Although the Creative’s Container is not advertised as sustainable, we commend this brand for having responsible brand elements! For example, the containers that the kits come in are chosen because they are reusable which is a huge plus. Ultimately however, the big picture for us is that if people knew how to make the things they enjoy...a nice throw pillow, a necklace to give as a gift, sandals for the beach...they would consume less and therefore reduce waste in out landfills. Not only that but they may discover a talent they didn't know they had which could lead to a side hustle or new business of their own.
REVIEW:
MelaninASS chief curator Dominique Drakeford tested the JULY Box which was African Waistbeads. These ritualistic body adornments date back to the 1st Century in Africa and is yet still very modern and on trend today for all ages.
"First and foremost, I love the minimal and chic look of the container. I love love love that it's reusable, as I'm a huge fan of giving containers and new life. The bundle came with everything that I needed and the instructions were very easy to read. I love the fact that it came with mini pliers and that's something I can certainly use again for a different project. It had a great assortment of beads and I especially loved the semi-precious stones. Overall, it was a great experience. I'm all for getting young people to work on DIY projects and crafting with their hands. It's so important and becoming a lost art - so a platform like this is going to help sustain creativity while saving money. I think this is a great gateway for entrepreneurship!" - Dominique Drakeford
“To see people making things and sharing the making process with others (all of our kits contain enough materials for sharing!) all over the world. Put down the smartphone and pick up a crochet needle! LOL You’ll lower your blood pressure—which will increase your happiness and life for that matter—-and like I said above, possibly start your own business based on the newly acquired skills. To me, “making” is the answer to reducing poverty and increasing joy. It’s a win-win for all! ”
