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SYDNEY, N.S. — Alisha Barron isn’t quite sure whether her downtown Sydney business is a pottery-painting studio or a café with a new patio or both.

“It’s just a fun place to be,” said the owner of Fired Creations, a venture she started almost four years ago after noticing an area demand for more crafting venues. 

“The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design is a great place, but if you need some art therapy, a stress-free environment, a caffeine fix or even a shot of rum then we have it all. We love our café but we’re not really a café, we’re a pottery-driven café.”

Whatever its label, Fired Creations has been a popular destination since its opening in September 2018 when Barron established the business at the corner of George and Townsend streets in the building that was the former headquarters of ACAP Cape Breton and that many years earlier housed the Royal Bank’s downtown Sydney branch.

The venture has done well enough that Barron has further invested in its future by purchasing the building last year after leasing the premises for three years. And the property now boasts a tidy, fenced-in patio where patrons can sit outdoors while painting their pottery pieces and/or enjoy a coffee, snack and/or alcoholic beverage from the licenced café inside.

“We’re hoping our new licensed patio brings more people because last summer, especially on nice evenings, we wouldn’t see anybody come in after supper,” she noted.

On a recent warm day, Barron held court at one of the many craft tables inside the former bank which still includes a vault that she used as a photo booth before converting it to a craft room.

“It’s been good,” said the Ingonish native, who prior to opening Fired Creations enjoyed a wide variety of vocations including a four-year stint at a jewelry store, fishing, selling cars, serving tables and doing door-to-door sales.  

“Since I opened I’ve learned that this is a different kind of business. For example, on rainy days I have to call in more staff, while on hot summer days business can be slow because people want to be outside.

“So summer is what I would call our slow season. But on weekends in the busy season, and especially during March break, you can’t get in here without a reservation.”

Barron also acknowledged that her business was somewhat COVID-19-proof compared to many other enterprises that rely on in-person clients and customers.

“The business actually took off during COVID,” she said.

“During the first year of the pandemic when nobody knew what was going on, I thought that because painting takes your mind off things that maybe we should get some take-home kits. I expected that maybe 30 or 40 households would take advantage of that but the next morning I opened my email inbox to find well over 120 messages of interest. And they just kept coming.”

So, what’s the deal with Fired Creations?

While people are encouraged to make reservations, especially during busy times, it isn’t necessary. On this particular day, a group of four entered the building and immediately made their way over to a giant wall display of unpainted ceramic and clay pieces. Some are made on-site which includes a mould-pouring room and a slab-rolling room, but most are acquired through an Ontario-based supplier. After each picked a piece, the four budding artists made their way to a quiet corner table where they began painting.

“It’s a wonderful place to come,” said Adrienne Collins, who was joined by daughters Evelyn and Amelia along with her mother Kathy MacIntosh.

“It’s been a little while since we’ve been here, but we’ve been down quite a few times. It’s a lot of fun.”

Collins and her mother had chosen mugs to paint, while eldest daughter Evelyn took on a horse and Amelia kept busy making beautiful the Highland cow she had selected.

According to Barron, patrons can complete their artwork in one sitting or take it home before completing it another time.

“Some people come in and paint something within a day and leave it with us to fire it in the kiln which can reach a temperature of about 1,800 F,” she said.

“I’ve also had people keep pieces out for over a year. They’ll come back and forth to work on a piece that they want to take their time on. I’ve seen people take 30 hours to paint a mug.”

Pick-up days for the finished product are generally Tuesday and Fridays.

When Barron started Fired Creations, she had a newborn baby girl, a 19-month-old daughter and a 10-year-old stepson. Somehow, she managed to remain balanced while combining family and work time. 

“Before I opened this, I was at home on maternity leave while my husband was busy travelling back and forth out west for work. I’m crafty by nature so I thought I might take a class or something, but due to the circumstances I was not able to commit to a regular time on a weekly basis.”

“Then I thought, well, maybe Cape Breton needs another place for crafts as so many people complain there’s not enough to do around here. I never did pottery before in my life but I thought it could work.”

Barron and her team spent two months renovating the building before the opening of Fired Creations. Business was good but required lots of her time. Then COVID-19 hit and Barron was forced to pivot to adapt to the changing world. She was busy.

Now, she’s spending more time trying to live what she sells. And that is a fun and gratifying activity in a positive, safe and stress-free environment. 

“I always take Sunday off and now I’m going to be spending Thursdays at home although I will be doing some business paperwork. And I like to get away early on Saturday to spend more time with my family.”

Barron said she finds her business rewarding. She loves to see smiling faces enjoying their time. She also likes to tell stories about what activities like pottery painting can mean to people in certain circumstances.

“A couple of years ago I was approached by a friend of mine whose mother was in the hospital in palliative care,” she recalled.

“My friend didn’t know what to get her for Christmas. So I suggested that she should take some Christmas ornaments to the hospital and do the painting activity with her mother. The mom ended up painting one for each of her kids. She passed away a couple of months later. Her children now have those ornaments. That’s priceless.”

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