Creative SHANanigans
Shannyn Dykes is the founder of Creative SHANanigans, a Tulsa-based art studio and online community offering paint parties, classes, and creative projects. Her mission is to help women and kids discover joy, purpose, and connection through creativity.
What do you do?
Creative SHANanigans is an in person and online arts and crafts company. We provide in studio sessions to teach painting; we also host paint parties. Our online membership
provides virtual paint parties and craft projects every month.
Tell us about the events that led up to where you are now
What should have felt like a devastating moment on October 1, 2024, didn’t. Instead, I felt peace and relief that I couldn’t explain.
I’ve been in the financial industry since I was 19—starting while still in college—and it grew into a career that blessed me and my family for more than 25 years. When we moved back from Arizona to Oklahoma nine years ago, I knew it came with risk. The “big players” in my field simply weren’t here. Still, I stayed with Wells Fargo for 11 years until I was displaced last October. Moving away again wasn’t an option.
But here’s the thing: almost three years before that, I’d already started to feel empty. Burned out. The corporate world that once fueled me no longer did. I loved being back in Oklahoma, our boys were thriving, but I needed… something. That’s when I found painting.
All my life I claimed I wasn’t creative. God proved me wrong.
For three years now, art has become my passion. It’s grown into painting and crafting, even pulling my husband into the fun—we bought a laser cutter, started hosting painting parties, I took online art classes, learned Adobe Illustrator, and even began designing my own patterns. The joy it’s brought me is indescribable, and I want to share it.
I’m now working toward certification in Art Therapy. Through both experience and study, I’ve learned how deeply we need creativity in our lives. And trust me, you need this too.
That’s why I started Creative SHANanigans. My heart is to help women—especially those in a season like mine—discover their creative spark, build regular art practices, and connect in a community that inspires. I truly believe God has been preparing this chapter for a long time.
What is your passion or mission surrounding your business?
My mission is simple: women who are in the "messy middle" of life who are seeking community and creative purpose. More recently, I started teaching the kids - I have a heart for them, too!
Tell us about you and your family.
I'm married to Josh. We've been together for almost 25 years. We have two boys, Gavin a Senior in high school and Connor, 10th grade. They keep us very busy! We have three fur babies: Frankie, our senior Boxer, Maggie, the Frenchie and Princess, and Bubba, our big, fat English Bulldog.
Creative SHANanigans on FB and IG
1251 S. Harvard Ave. in Tulsa
(602) 578-6745
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