Arts & Culture
She Owns It: This is Happiness Studio
Owner Emily Keener hosts creative workshops alongside her own art pieces at her Gallery Row studio.
Emily Keener has been a creative for as long as she can remember, eventually pursuing a career as an elementary art teacher. As she soaked up the magic and whimsy of childhood perspectives in the classroom, she noticed a playfulness weaving its way into her own art practice.
When she had two boys of her own, Emily set up a pottery studio in her basement where she worked over naptimes, committing to a daily practice so she could hone her skills and fulfill orders. But somewhere along the way, she noticed, the magic was lost.
“I needed to find the heart behind my art again,” Emily shared. “So I took time to experiment with new techniques and materials, really letting myself become curious and okay with mistakes.”
As Emily began to creatively play again, her family pulled up their chairs next to her—spreading out art materials, turning up the music, and immersing themselves in their own creative process.
“I was so inspired by my children’s playfulness and found so much joy creating alongside them,” she said.
During their creative play time, “Happy” by Pharrell played in the background, and her boys began to shout: “What is happiness?” before responding to their own question: “THIS is happiness!”
And This Is Happiness Studio was born.
Opening the storefront on Gallery Row five years later was an unexpected next step, but one that felt right.
“The physical studio felt full of both fear and excitement,” Emily recalled. “But just like in art, life is about placing one mark down at a time.”
With a vision to invite people to slow down, notice beauty, and keep playfulness alive, This is Happiness Studio is a place where you can discover art, take a workshop, or simply soak in the creative energy.
“I believe creativity is something we all carry within us—it’s like a muscle that grows stronger when we use and nurture it,” she shared.
As for being a woman-owned business in Lancaster, Emily uses the word connected.
“Lancaster has such a rich and warm creative spirit, and I feel supported by a beautiful community that is rooting for me,” she said.
Stop by the studio to connect, create, and invite a little more magic into your everyday life.
“She Owns It” is sponsored by Chesko and Cavallo, a woman-owned realty group serving Lancaster County and beyond.
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