With a mission to renew and cultivate Putnam County arts and craftsmanship for the beauty and sustainability of the community, Derek Chastain opened Creative Castle in Greencastle in 2022.
Chastain said the Creative Castle, 16 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, is a store that sells anything that's crafted, designed or produced in Putnam County.
"The idea came from a desire to renew and cultivate craftsmanship, both old and new, for the beauty and sustainability of the community," Chastain told The Putnam County Post.
Chastain said as the idea of the business began to take root, he was reading a bunch of Wendell Berry, Nick Offerman, NT Wright and Andrew Peterson books and essays on why everyone should be participators and supports of good work in the places where they live.
"Whether it's farming, crafting or simply caring for the land, participating in our communities can help restore relationships, unique skillsets, the land around us and our wellbeing," Chastain said.
In Aug. 2022, Creative Castle opened its doors in a 300-square foot space just south of DePauw University and recently moved to a space that is more than 2,000-square feet in downtown Greencastle, just above The Whisk.
"More than anything, I enjoy seeing strangers become friends. I've seen this often at the store and at the open mics and it never gets old," Chastain said.
With the move has come some exciting times.
"We have also begun to team up with studios around the county to host a wide variety of workshops and camps that help pass down knowledge from master crafters and artisans to students interested in learning a craft," Chastain said.
For example, Creative Castle's main studio partner, Sassafrass Art Studio, hosts a variety of workshops in the store that reaches every age group.
"There's always something going on here at the store, and as we grow, we hope to begin hosting more regular events such as live music, poetry nights, film screenings, make and takes and tons more. We want to be a central hub for local artists and crafters to get their work out into the world or better yet, the local community," Chastain admitted.
While the business moved, the desire of Chastian has remained the same -- to offer a place for shoppers to support their neighbor's good work and crafted products throughout the year.
"We also offer a space where artisans, appreciators and students new to the crafts can get to know one another. For many artists, it can be hard to find like minded folks in the area. Creative Castle hopes to be a bridge for any gap that stands in the way," he said.
In addition, he hopes Creative Castle will continue to find ways for the university and community to collaborate together. On Monday nights, Creative Castle has partnered with Gail Smith at Almost Home to host Open Mic and Pints at The Swizzle Stick.
"The open mics have been another great avenue for people to meet and find support," Chastain said.
He said there are "a number of ways for people to get involved" with Creative Castle.
"One way to start is by signing up for our monthly newsletters on the website, following our social media pages and sharing this information with friends. Word of mouth always goes a long way," Chastain said.
Another way is to become a patron member. Chastain said for $25 a month, a patron member is helping Creative Castle with its core mission to renew and cultivate Putnam County arts and craftsmanship for the beauty and sustainability of Putnam County.
He said people can become a member through Creative Castle's website or by visiting the store.
"In return, we give out quarterly gifts such as mugs, t-shirts and store discounts for members only and members get to share a meal together quarterly with the artisan members, which I hope will grow into something really meaningful. The patron membership funds go towards making the space at Creative Castle more suitable for artisans," Chastain said.
And, there is also the fact of just visiting Creative Castle, Chastain said.
"The best way to support Creative Castle is by visiting us for all your gifts, decor, local art, books and custom needs. As we grow, we plan to have more essential items that are made locally, so definitely keep that in mind. And if you know anyone locally who produces or designs cool stuff, then please send them our way. Our goal is to be a store that fully supports our local economy and our artisan neighbor's good works for generations to come," Chastain said.
If there are artists or crafters who want to get involved, Chastain asks that they reach out to him by phone, email or stopping in.
"We are always looking for artisans who want to sell their work and/or teach their craft," he said.
For more information on Creative Castle, visit www.creativecastlegc.com, call Chastai at 765-525-2233 or email him at info@creativecastlegc.com. Creative Castle is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
