I live in the beautiful little seaside town of Binningup in Western Australia. When you don’t find me in my studio creating and connecting, you’ll probably find me in my garden soaking up the beautiful West Australian sunshine, walking my gorgeous dog Baylee along the beach, or spending time with family and friends. I love to entertain, and connection with the people I care about is one of the things I value most in life.

Create n Connect grew from my vision of creating a welcoming space where people could step away from the ‘busyness’ of everyday life, breathe out, slow down and reconnect — with themselves and with others. A place to learn new skills, meet new people, enjoy the process of creating and leave with something beautiful they’ve made themselves. After more than 30 years as an educator, I’ve always believed in the power of learning, creativity and connection.

My background in education, together with my studies in art therapy, has strengthened my belief in the positive impact creativity can have on our health and wellbeing.

For me, it’s all about the process of creation, not perfection. You don’t need to think of yourself as artistic — or even believe you have a creative bone in your body! Giving yourself the time and space to create and express yourself can be incredibly mindful and cathartic. Working with your hands and becoming absorbed in the process can help calm the body, quieten the mind and give you a break from everything else for a while.

For me, mosaics are a metaphor for life. Piece by piece, we bring together different shapes, colours and textures and slowly create something beautiful.

And while the Create n Connect studio is at the heart of what I do, creativity and connection shouldn’t depend on where you live. For those who can’t access the studio or a creative group locally, I also offer opportunities to learn and create from home through online workshops, project packs and independent creative experiences.

Whether you join me in the studio or create from your own space, my hope is that you enjoy the process, learn something new, feel a little more connected — and discover just how good it feels to create.

Create n Connect — where art meets heart.