Shift Creative

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY & COMMUNITY

Written by Sophie Gravitt Photos Courtesy of The Shift Creative

People are constantly seeking new ways to be creative. Creativity finds a way of seeping into every environment, filling it with novelty and fascination. The Shift Creative, a small business located in Southern California, uses the skill of creativity in an innovative way. Indeed, the business lives up to its name.

The Shift Creative takes art to a higher level, literally. The purpose of the business is to design stage sets, experiential activations and backdrops for events all over Southern California. This business brings creativity to life, allowing entrance into visual surroundings full of wonder and awe. The Shift Creative offers a very wide range of services including conceptualization, fabrication and project building. They have previously designed for The Bliss Project, POPSUGAR, Create & Cultivate, and Cadillac.

Alexis Andra began this business when her daughter was only five months old. She went from starting a blog as a creative outlet to founding and establishing a creative studio for large style installations. The business has been expanding ever since. They now have a warehouse, a studio, multiple professional clients and educational opportunities. The Shift Creative continues to impact the community in meaningful ways.

"We work closely with a lot of local churches. It has been especially fun in the midst of the pandemic to see the outreach we have in the Christian community. God is definitely opening doors for us to partner with ministries and I love that I can do that," Andra says.

Andra is a creative consultant at Sandals Church, which has given her an opportunity to connect her business with the church in effective ways. The Shift Creative has constructed stage designs for the worship team at Sandals Church as well as Harvest Christian Fellowship, ensuring consistent aesthetic designs across all campuses.

Emi Tom, creative intern at The Shift Creative, affirms this business’ devotion to the skill of creativity as well as to their clients.

“The Shift Creative is unlike anything I have ever seen before,” Tom says. “The first time I heard about Alexis and her company, I was so wowed by her projects and how tirelessly she and her team worked for her clients. The team really pours their hearts into making their clients’ dreams into a reality; nothing is ever half-finished or lazy.”

The Shift Creative’s dedication to serving the community includes more than working for clients. Many students from California Baptist University have been involved in this business, providing them with an environment in which they can exercise creative thinking and design skills.

Ashley Dirksen, senior graphic design major, is the art installation coordinator at The Shift Creative. Her responsibilities include overseeing the interns, buying supplies, scheduling projects, and producing some of the social media content. Dirksen describes her experience working with The Shift Creative as a “dream come true.”

“The Shift Creative has been able to provide communities with the chance to be interactive in positive ways and reflect in the good that God is doing,” Dirksen says. “It is an honor to be able to work for churches and serve the Lord in creative ways.”

The Shift Creative seeks to serve a larger purpose, the purpose of God’s kingdom. Dirksen notes that this is one attribute that makes them stand apart from the rest.

It is the mission of The Shift Creative, as mentioned on its website, to help people “stand apart from the rest” by using the tool of creativity in a creative way.

Some of the core values The Shift Creative holds are seek wisdom, value people, weird ideas win, encourage feedback, work with excellence, and more. It is evident not only in their work but also in their team dynamic that these values are upheld.

Members of Create & Cultivate pose in front of a photo backdrop.

A bright and colorful springtime background for Runaway Playa Vista.

“This small business is really like a little family,” Dirksen says. “What sets us apart is that we are rooted in Christ to live and create for him every day we come to work.”

Every six months The Shift Creative hires a new round of interns, many of which are from CBU. This is a great way for developing designers to exercise and expand their creative skills in various formats. An intern’s responsibilities include painting, sanding, cutting, organizing, pinning, and more.

Tom explains that her experience as an intern at The Shift Creative was profitable and enjoyable.

“It was definitely a great way to focus on being creative in a different environment, since I’m usually always doing graphic design, so I loved to be able to get away from the computer and build in the warehouse,” Tom explains.

Some of the core values The Shift Creative holds are seek wisdom, value people, weird ideas win, encourage feedback, work with excellence, and more. It is evident not only in their work but also in their team dynamic that these values are upheld.