Roopavathi Kumaravel worked as a Software Developer for years, even after two maternity breaks, but at the back of her mind, she had a different calling: she was an aspiring educator.
During COVID, with new work hours for her and classes for her children, she decided to take a break. Post-lockdown, she was in a position to choose between going back to tech or becoming an entrepreneur to follow her dreams. She chose the latter. “I have always wanted to host creative classes, especially for school-going children, on arts and crafts, numerals, and handwriting. I earned certifications in both Jolly Phonics and Grammar, a Storytelling certificate, and a Diploma in Fine Arts. I’m also trying to do my Doctorate in Educational Psychology. I pursued these when I took a break from my tech job, because my long-term mission is to work with children in any capacity. This also allows me to spend more quality time with my kids, finally!” Roopa says.
She credits the space she found to be what brought about Curious Korner, a stationery store and creative space rolled into one. When asked about what inspired her, she explains, “I come from a very humble background where education was a godsend, so I’ve always been inclined towards doing something in the same sector. As for stationery, who doesn’t like it? Initially, I planned to retire and start something like this when I was 60 or 70, but the universe had different plans, I suppose,” she smiles.
On the topic of Curious Korner’s classes and her thoughts on education, Roopa talks candidly. “For me, learning should be personalised and intuitive. I don’t like the concept of being in a particular class on a particular day because of a certain schedule. My kids are home-schooled, and I follow the same sentiment with the creative space as well. We have books, toys, and games around, and if a student doesn’t feel like attending a workshop, they are free to explore whatever they want. We only have 7 kids per batch, so we can focus on each kid and what they individually want to work on, especially with something like handwriting. For classes like phonics or grammar, we use stories, art, or an activity to give them a better idea of the concept before explaining the language rule itself. This leads to a longer attention span and a keen interest in learning!”
From store planning to inventory to the logo, everything was learned and done from scratch. Roopa spoke to established art stores to understand the inner workings and how to stock items. She reached out to brands, and although it took a while to gain their trust as a female entrepreneur and proprietor, she eventually succeeded. As for the logo, her husband designed it to reflect what the brand aims to convey. The C has a paintbrush and paint dripping on one end and a pencil on the other; the K is made up of a pen nib and an open book, all of which showcase what Curious Korner is really about. It came with its fair share of challenges, though.
Roopa designs and curates hands-on workshops, sometimes in collaboration with industry experts to stimulate the childrens’ senses without using
“One of the biggest challenges for us was to get customers to the store, as with any new place. Once we started building trust, however, a different issue came up. People wanted extra discounts, even though we already offer a flat 5% off plus complimentary gift wrapping for curated gifts. People don’t understand that it’s not possible, as we work on a 20% commission with the brands we stock. We also realised, unfortunately, that it’s hard to find reliable help. Now, it’s all handled within the family. From procurement to delivery to checking inventory to being at the store, everything. It’s been a huge learning curve,” she describes.
The highlight of Curious Korner is its workshops. Roopa runs the majority of the workshops herself and does collaborations with industry experts. “We also conduct workshops at schools, parties, private events, and summer camps. For our camps, we bring in experts in pottery, carpentry, or theatre, to name a few. It’s amazing when people tell us they want to travel across the city just to attend our workshop; I feel so blessed,” she says.
Curious Korner is a stationery store and creative space rolled into one
Roopa explains how she wants Curious Korner to predominantly be a hobby centre. They have an in-house library with over 800 books for kids aged 0-7, and they can either sit there and read or borrow a book to take home. They can even take home a board game from the large variety they have in store. She hopes to expand it into a bigger, more nuanced centre for kids to pursue all kinds of fine arts, even dance.
Another big focal point for her is to encourage kids to take up activities that don’t involve screens, but she wants them to enjoy what they’re doing and not feel like they’re missing out on their screentime. “We design and curate the workshops in a way that engages the kids and stimulates all their senses. We don’t want them to be pushed into something they don’t want to do, and luckily, the kids are having a blast. We also have a lot of events that involve both parents or grandparents and the child. We try to foster family time, joyful education, and self-learning,” she expresses.
Roopa brings up some unexpected moments in the journey that made her realise she was on the right track. “I don’t carry or give out business cards; I made bookmarks instead. One side has positive affirmations, and the other has a habit tracker. My intended audience was adults, but it turns out the kids love it too! Pre-KG kids tracked their water intake or whether they finished their school snack that day. I started a little initiative where I tell kids to show me their finished, tracked bookmarks after a month, and I will give them a new one as a reward. It’s going well; they’re happy doing this, and it gives them a feeling of accomplishment.”
In terms of being motivated, she clarifies, “It doesn’t feel like a job to me. I thoroughly enjoy what I do every day, and I’ve never gotten the feeling of not wanting to work. I appreciate how, since starting this, my kids have begun to design workshops and are eager to put them into practice! They’ve started making their own clothes, stickers, and stationery, and sharing them with their friends. That kind of satisfaction is incomparable,” she concludes.
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