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After a workplace injury, Mandurah based artist Kate Capone discovered how powerful creativity was in her healing journey. With a background in teaching and a passion for helping people, her next steps were clear.
Kate’s experience with art therapy inspired her to create A Brush with Fun – a space where NDIS participants and people navigating trauma, injury, or mental health challenges can use art to grow, connect, and recover their confidence.
“I’ve always used art to improve my wellbeing while recovering physically, and now I get to help other people do the same,” Kate explained.
A Brush with Fun offers structured art-based activities to support psychosocial recovery, tailored to each client’s individual needs. The sessions are creative, supportive and goal-focused, designed to complement other clinical therapies.
“I really wanted to have a very specific one-on-one relationship with every client and offer a very specific individually tailored programme.”
Getting started on an arts business
Starting a new business can be daunting, especially if you feel like you’re doing it alone. Accessing the right support early on is so important, and Kate has had a guiding hand from the SBDC Regional team.
“I struck gold when I found out about SBDC’s small business services in Mandurah, they have been instrumental in helping me, supporting me through building my business and teaching me how to run the business,” Kate said.
They have the most incredible team, things feel a lot less overwhelming, and I have been really supported by them.”
Kate also found SBDC’s range of business workshops invaluable for her small business journey.
“I’ve done a whole range of SBDC courses both online and in person – they’ve taught me how to market my business and myself, focus on my client base and build my website,” Kate explained.
More than a year since Kate first started out, she still regularly meets with her SBDC Regional business advisor, Carly, to keep everything running smoothly across her business.
“I didn’t know support for small businesses was this easily accessible, I really feel like I have hit the jackpot.”
Crafting a community
Through accessing SBDC’s services, Kate has found another unexpected benefit – a new network of people who understand what she’s going through.
“Going to the workshops has offered me the opportunity to network with likeminded people who are in the same situation that I'm in and starting their own business,” Kate said.
“We have breakfast catch ups, we have ‘after darks’, we have all the SBDC courses, we see each other regularly. I've gained some amazing friendships in the short time.”
Mandurah based artist Kate Capone combined her teaching background and love of art to create a small business that helps people improve their wellbeing through art practise.
Balancing it all
Running a small business can be a delicate balancing act, with owners constantly juggling multiple roles and priorities.
“As a small business owner, you are absolutely everything. The business is me and I am the business at the moment,” Kate laughed.
“The business is centred around my skills as an educator and as an artist, so I'm always trying to learn and upskill in such a variety of areas as well as meet my clients’ needs.”
Kate reaps the rewards of all her hard work when she sees firsthand the difference her business makes in the lives of her clients.
“It’s such an accomplishment seeing the impact that the business is having on people who have struggled when they have had physical limitations, or they've had setbacks in their life. Just watching them become more confident, increase their positive self-talk, explore different art forms and experiment more confidently.”
“It’s time consuming, but it’s really, really rewarding,” Kate said.
Looking ahead
Whether mentoring TAFE students, hosting exhibitions that celebrate her clients’ achievements, or developing eco-friendly practices in the studio, Kate’s focus is always the same: empowering people to thrive through creativity.
Having recently moved into a beautiful new studio space, Kate feels inspired to keep pushing forward and helping those who are struggling – with the continued support of the SBDC, of course!
She feels grateful to be running her business in a regional area like Mandurah. Not only has she felt supported by SBDC’s services, but she has also felt supported by her community.
“This is probably the most supportive environment ever to start up a small business,” Kate laughed.
“It has been amazing, I don't feel like I'm doing it alone.”
More information
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