She quit school twice. Her horror art studio nearly closed. Now, its neon art jams book out most weekends
An IP student at an elite school, Merida Lim left with only a PSLE certificate to open a horror-themed art studio at 19. When it nearly closed, she pivoted to neon art jams and the business now generates five figures in monthly revenue. This is the first instalment of CNA Women’s Gen Z series.
Merida Lim, a student with a PSLE certificate, opened a horror-themed art studio at 19 after dropping out of elite school twice. Facing a near-closure, she pivoted to neon art jams, which now generates five figures in monthly revenue. As a teen, Lim experienced panic attacks and turned to drawing scary images for release. She quit school due to her entrepreneurial spirit and had no interest in a traditional job.
Her mom worried about dropping out, but her dad, an entrepreneur, supported her. In October 2024, with savings and a dad-provided loan, Lim launched Scuro, a horror-themed art studio. The business struggled initially due to high initial costs and low bookings. Lim used TikTok to appeal for support and introduced new neon art jam concepts, which boosted bookings.
Scuro transformed into a family-friendly studio and now hosts over 1,000 parties annually, including corporate events and team bonding sessions. With a new co-founder, manager, and part-timers, Lim plans to increase weekday bookings and offsite parties.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
