By Kim Davis owner, designer & maker behind Left Grain
How One Maker Used the Ignite Studio to Transform Art and Ideas Into a Growing Small Business.
I first discovered Ignite Studio the same way I discovered most things at the library in that season of life…while chasing little kids and looking for things to do around town!
When my kids were small, we were at the library often, and I remember seeing the announcement that Ignite Studio was opening and thinking, “Wow, that’s incredible.” And then immediately feeling intimidated by tools and machines…I’m a designer and artist by background with a degree in Computer Graphic Technology and had a career as a professional photographer, so learning tools felt out of reach.
Photography by Lili Perez
My husband took the laser certification class first. We had just started our small business, Left Grain, where we design and make midwest-inspired goods from art, logos, and more. When we first started, we were primarily using traditional woodworking techniques. Brandon took my designs and artwork into the laser class, and he made pieces for a tic-tac-toe board. Watching him turn my artwork into something precise and repeatable, inspired me to take the class and start learning to use the laser. It truly changed everything for me. Left Grain is now known for leather patch hats, keychains, and personalized goods that are made in Indiana and can be gifted and loved for a long time.
Once I got certified, I started spending as many free hours at Ignite as I could. That studio became my classroom. I learned not just from the staff, who were incredibly patient and generous with their knowledge, but from other makers who were using the laser before and after me. There was such a spirit of curiosity and collaboration. I loved digging through the scrap bin to see what materials others had left behind and figuring out how to turn them into something new. I was playing and learning – and starting to sell some of the things I was making in the studio.
Photography by Lili Perez
At that time, I didn’t have the physical space or financial margin to purchase my own laser. Ignite allowed me to experiment, prototype, and refine products without the pressure of a major investment. I was able to test ideas, see what resonated with customers, and slowly build confidence both technically and as a business owner and save funds for my own machinery.
The laser completely shifted the trajectory of Left Grain. I finally purchased my own laser and began working out of my basement full time. I had a much shorter learning curve than I would have if I didn’t have jump start at Ignite, and I had products ready to sell that I had been making in the studio.
Photography by Lili Perez
What I think is especially powerful about Ignite is that you don’t have to start a business for it to matter. There is something incredibly important about seeing your creative ideas become physical objects especially. Watching a drawing turn into an engraved piece of wood or a leather patch builds confidence in a way that’s hard to replicate. Learning how to use tools, problem-solve through mistakes, and collaborate with people using other machines in the space is such an incredible and meaningful use of a public library. It turns creativity into something tangible and shared.
Today, after several years of operating out of my basement, I run Left Grain from my studio on Maple Avenue in downtown Noblesville, where I design and produce leather patch hats, gifts, and custom merchandise. But the foundation of everything I do…especially the technical skills, the confidence with tools, and the belief that I belonged in a maker space…started at the library.
Ignite didn’t just give me access to equipment. It gave me a career that I love and a sense of community with other individuals who also like to design and make and create.