AJ Studio didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with a question.
More than ten years ago, Alice, our founder — was a young mother searching for an art class that could truly support her daughter’s creativity. One that didn’t rely on copying. One that didn’t turn away young children just because they couldn’t sit still or draw a perfect circle. But it was hard to find. And that didn’t sit right.
Alice had started learning art herself at the age of two. She studied at Elam School of Fine Arts, worked as a graphic, web, and product designer, but always carried with her the belief that young children are far more intelligent than we often give them credit for. Just because they don’t have the words doesn’t mean they don’t understand. Just because their work looks simple doesn’t mean it isn’t full of meaning.
So she began teaching her own kids. It wasn’t formal — just a few families who shared the same problem, chipping in for paint and basic supplies. That small circle became the seed of what would grow into AJ Studio.
So she began teaching her own kids. It wasn’t formal — just a few families who shared the same problem, chipping in for paint and basic supplies. That small circle became the seed of what would grow into AJ Studio.
Over the past decade, Alice has continued to learn, completing early childhood education leadership certificates at Harvard and furthering her studies in education leadership. But the studio has always returned to one core idea:
You can’t bypass creative thinking and still expect creative output.
In a world that moves quickly and often rewards speed over substance, it’s easy to focus only on the finished product. A neat painting. A working game. A clean sculpture. But creative output is not just output. It carries questions. Ideas. Risk. It shows us how a learner made choices, wrestled with uncertainty, and shaped something that wasn’t there before.
You can’t rush that.
And you can’t fake it by skipping the thinking.
And you can’t fake it by skipping the thinking.
That’s why, at AJ Studio, we care just as much about the process as the product. We give students space to try, to change their minds, to get stuck, to start again — and to feel proud not just of what they made, but how they made it.
Because in the world our students are growing into, creative thinking won’t just be helpful. It will be essential. It’s what will help them stay curious, take risks, and build futures that don’t exist yet.
And that’s exactly why we’re here.
Courses
Write your awesome label here.
Sign up to our mailing list today!
Thank you!
-
one-click unsubscribe
-
tips, deals and offers
Copyright © AJ Studio, New Zealand 2012-2021