“What else could come out of a truck?”

Interview with Amy Tingle from The Creative Caravan.

Montclair, New Jersey – Friday – 1:30 pm

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      It’s a fact that when you have an idea and start working on it, you never know how it will evolve. Even Pablo Picasso spoke broadly about this: “I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else.” For me, that’s absolutely exciting.

Nowadays, society seems to be taking action to communicate how important it is to stimulate creativity. No matter how old or young you are, if you work on your capacity as a creative person, you’ll start noticing the benefits—whether it’s coming up with unexpected solutions to a problem or simply finding ways to make your life happier.

How did you come up with the concept of the gallery?

We’ve been in the business for about three and a half years. In the beginning, we were mobile. We actually had a vintage caravan that we attached to our car, and we traveled to other communities to bring our projects to them. We were waiting for the right opportunity to have our own space. Even though we don’t live in Montclair, we decided to open our doors and see what would happen if we transitioned from being mobile to having a stationary space where people could find us.

Our inspiration actually started with food trucks. People were doing creative and innovative things with food, and while we didn’t want to make food necessarily, we started thinking about what else could come out of a truck—what else could be mobile and brought to people. That idea still stands. Even though we now have a stationary space, we’re still focused on bringing creativity to the community. We actively try to function as if we were still a food truck or an ice cream truck.

The Craft Cycle allows us to move around town—whether it’s a park, the art museum, or festivals. We also still have our caravan, so we can travel to other communities outside New Jersey.

It’s a program for kids and adults. So far, what has been the most rewarding experience?

Probably the continuation of the Tiny Book Show. That was the last project we did during our mobile visits. We collected 360 miniature books, placed them inside our caravan, and took them on a 10,000-mile trip across the United States. We visited 16 different cities, hosting book-making workshops at each location. Once we finished the trip and got home, we thought that would be the end of the project, and we’d move on to something else. But the project has continued as part of our work, and we’ve kept hosting workshops.

Initially, I thought the project’s restriction—creating a book that’s three inches or smaller—might be seen as a negative. However, the restriction is only about size; you can use any material or content you like. That freedom allows people to express themselves without the pressure of filling a large canvas or writing a novel. The books are just six pages, two inches big—not a lot of space to fill—and that simplicity gives people a sense of creative freedom.

Kids and adults can work on this project together, and that’s where we find the most inspiration. We see groups of kids, parents, and grandparents collaborating. It’s amazing to watch a 4-year-old and a 90-year-old have a conversation about their work.

A book from Tiny Book Show.

Do you think Social Media has played an important role in your business?

Absolutely. Especially when we were mobile, it allowed people to track us and be part of the journey. We were posting every day from wherever we were, so people could follow along in a way that wouldn’t have been possible 15 years ago.

Social media helps us build a community that is incredibly supportive of our work. They don’t necessarily have to be in Montclair to support us. It’s the only way we can reach as many people as we do, and they’re often inspired by what we share. People have told us, “We’re doing this project now because we saw you,” or, “We met you in California, and you gave us this idea.” That kind of feedback is so rewarding.

Fear is important to overcome when talking about creativity. What was your biggest fear when starting this project?

I was afraid. I think it’s natural if you’re human. Both my partner and I took a risk, but I think that’s the only way to live—taking risks and seeing what happens. I don’t want to be lying in bed one day thinking, “I should have, I could have…”

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The Creativity Caravan – a studio, galley, and imaginarium located in Northern New Jersey. Their mission was to spark, engage, and nourish creativity in communities everywhere they go. They were the ones to talk to!

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This project is no longer active, and their website is no longer accessible.