Introducing a new weekly column on StartUps: GroupArtCircle: Superhit from Day 1

August 8, 2016

With Pune soon becoming a startup hub, the vast variety of these entrepreneurial ventures showcase the abundant talent that is confined within the city. GroupArtCircle is one such art startup that aims to form a bond between art lovers and inspire some new ones. Started by Debasree Dey in 2016, GroupArtCircle provides a space for Puneites to explore their inner Picasso and create a masterpiece that one could never imagine themselves doing.

Coming from an IT background, Dey saw art as her escape route from the rat race she was entangled in. “Whatever free time I would get in between work, I would be checking out YouTube videos of artists painting. That’s when I realised I need to quit my job and pursue my passion,” she says. Originally from Kolkata, travelling abroad for work never seemed to keep her happy, as she always wanted to be closer to home. A stopover in Pune for her last assignment and a conversation with a friend made her rediscover her love for art and start GroupArtCircle. “I fell in love with the city mainly because of the large number of art lovers this city has. The kind of appreciation Puneites showcase is something I have not seen in other cities,” adds Dey.

Thus, the city proved to be an idealistic setting for her art venture, which aims to instil confidence in people who have never picked up a paint brush in their life. “My goal is to have a handmade painting in every house. I had no formal education in art, I just attended an art course a few years back for acrylic painting. There I realised how easy it is to paint and I wanted to share this experience with everyone,” said Dey. GroupArtCircle is described as a “painting party”, where people can learn how to paint in a stress free environment as well as interact with each other. “I want to help build that confidence in people that everyone can paint. I want adults to get rid of the mind block. I feel like we’ve become so individualistic in this day and age. No productive or creative thinking is happening when you meet your friends, therefore, attending a painting workshop allows you to bond over food and drinks as well as create something beautiful,” she smiles

The startup generated much interest via social media thereby garnering attention right from the day it started. “The response from Puneites has been awesome. Every weekend we hold a GroupArtCirclesession at either a café or a pub. We have even spread the franchise to Mumbai now,” she adds excitedly. The painting sessions are usually for adults but children are welcome too, all you need is the will to learn and Dey’s passion is infectious enough for you to create the magic stroke. Narrating an incident on how GroupArtCircle helps people she says, “I had a father come with his son for one of the sessions. He continued coming for the next four sessions as well, this time bringing his daughter along as well. One day I get a call from him explaining how the painting exercise made him bond with his children so much more than just taking them out to restaurants and it has now become a routine activity for them.”

On being asked how much of a struggle was it to set up an endeavour such as GroupArtCircle, she claims, “It has been quite a smooth journey. Reason being I had already taken the toughest decision, which was quitting my job before I thought of GroupArtCircle.” The artistic streak in her was present since childhood, “My mother said the first thing I ever did was paint. But I did end up conforming to society and started weighing my options between becoming a doctor or engineer. Instead of going on to study art.” Taking her steps into starting her own enterprise made her attend quite a few startup meetings in the city, where nervousness took over. But, it was her motive to educate people about art that drove her on. Creating more value to the painting sessions, Dey plans on studying different art forms in order to enlighten people more about what they are creating.

A piece of advice the young entrepreneur would like to give those who would like to start something of their own would be, “The first step is quitting your job. Once money is flowing into your bank account, you will never start. Also, for me what really helped was having the right kind of encouragement from friends.”