As a brand new company that started in the middle of the pandemic, Fat Gratitude Productions wants to amplify all the good they see happening around them in their Spokane community.

And it’s all run by three siblings who grew up creating together. We spoke to co-founder Sherri Urann about how their creative business got started, why being intentional helps their business stay sustainable, and why they’re choosing to register their creative business as a B Corp.

And if you’re thinking of starting your own creative business check out Whipsmart’s deep dive guide about how to write a business plan, with insights from Sherri and other Washington State creatives!

You started Fat Gratitude Productions with your two siblings! Tell us about how the business came to be, and how being related has helped you all creatively collaborate.

So Fat Gratitude Productions is a collaboration between myself and my two brothers, Jeremy and Sean.

It’s all about the honey you cultivate! We’re hard working, fiercely loving and courageously dreaming humans who believe in the power of art to shift hearts, minds and society.

We create compelling film content that elevates the work of local artists and community-centric organizations. Our services include fine art music videos, promotional shorts, moving mission statements, fundraising stories, artist spotlights, and original docuseries.

We've grown up creating together, and we’ve been collaborating since we were in diapers. We love celebrating one another’s passions: Jeremy as an actor, writer, choreographer and director, Sean as a musician, performer and score artist and myself as a director, cinematographer and editor.

How did the pandemic contribute to your motivation to start Fat Gratitude Productions?

Amidst the throes of 2020, we decided to create a production house fueled by gratitude and hope for a more equitable world.

During the pandemic I was working as a counselor in a public health clinic, Sean worked as an engineer, and Jeremy was kind of stalled out with his creative career with everything kind of slowing down. ¬

And we just really felt a draw to come back into our creative power to try and extend some positivity and encouragement, during just a really kind of bizarre time.

We really believe in the power of art and film to help make a more just and loving world. And that's what really has inspired us to kind of come back together at this time and start collaborating in a more official way.

Talk to me about your road to finding sustainability through your arts practice.

Our intention with Fat Gratitude is to begin with where we’re at and continue to dream big! We decided to take on a limited number of projects each quarter to allow ourselves to be intentional about enacting our values, building synergy between our individual art forms, and always pushing our skill set and production quality to the next level.

As a relatively new business, Fat Gratitude Productions has a mission of amplifying the work of do-gooders in the Spokane and beyond. How do you engage new clientele?

So far, we’ve been blessed with meeting our production goals through the medium of resonance, people being creative and doing good want to work with people being creative and doing good. And we’re super fun to work with!

The "Alright" Official Music Video for Sean Patrick was created to bring a sense of hope and healing amidst the challenging year that was 2020. Featuring several collaborating artists and the unique industrial charm of Spokane, Washington.

A B Corporation is social enterprise business, a "new type of business that balances purpose and profit." Why did you want to register your business as a B Corp? What is your best advice for creative people who are interested in forming this kind of business structure?

We are registering as an LLC with the intention of working toward Certified B Corporation status after two years of operation.

Our vision is to become a powerhouse in creating films that inspire hope for a more just and loving world. We are guided by our values of artistic excellence, gratitude, inclusivity, social and environmental justice.

For us, B Corp status is one of the stars we’re navigating by. In addition to being good for the people and the planet, we think B Corporations strike a balance of profit and purpose—helping to build a more woke economy!

As wellness practitioner and teacher, what can creatives do as self-care practices that you’ve learned along the way?

In addition to Fat Gratitude, I work as a mental health counselor. I am constantly inviting art into the therapeutic process. As an artist who has made a living selling my works (paintings and films), I know how the need for work to be “sellable” can often damper the creative process.

Something I’ve found incredibly healing is to find a “therapy art.” For me, it’s ceramics. When I work with clay it’s just for me. I can breathe deep and allow the process to happen without judgement or attachment to the outcome. Allowing yourself that primordial exploration can be liberating and healing in unexpected ways!