Handmade Connections Nurturing Wellbeing

The strength of creativity is in its ability to thrive regardless of place, from galleries or studios, to small, welcoming spaces where people gather to make, share, and reconnect. 

And for Te Kuiti’s Sue Sands and Pirongia’s Shereen Parker, creativity has become much more than a personal pursuit, it is a pathway for community connection and wellbeing.

When Sue first opened Creative Spaces in Te Kuiti, she simply wanted to teach people how to make things. After years working in administration, she realised her real joy came from crafting and sharing that process with others.

“I like teaching people how to do things. That’s what I really wanted to do.”

Sands began by offering craft classes, teaching weaving, sewing, and patchwork. Over time, her workshops evolved into a gentle hub of creativity and friendship. “Tuesday mornings we’ll have about ten ladies here knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, talking and sharing ideas,” she says. “It’s a space for people to just come and let loose sometimes, offload, and relax.”

During Covid, Sue received funding to run classes for people struggling with isolation and depression. “Some of them were stuck at home, some were sick, some had lost people,” she recalls. “They’d come in and just do a variety of crafts. While they were making, they were connecting and just feeling better.”

Her philosophy is refreshingly simple: creativity should never be about perfection. “Nothing’s wrong, you just hold everything differently.” That ethos, she believes, is what helps people open up and find peace through making.

Sue has seen first-hand how the rhythm of crafting can be therapeutic. “They say repetitiveness is good for calming your brain. But I think just not being scared to try something, that’s really important.”

For Sue, creativity is about following instinct and joy, not rules. “Creativity starts with something that pops in my head,” she says. “There’s got to be certain guidelines but no rules. If you don’t like what you’re looking at, don’t do it.”

As she reflects on the future, Sue hopes her space will outlast her. “I’m not ready to leave it yet. But I’d like it to carry on, maybe as a co-op. It’s got to stay for the people that need it.”

In Pirongia, Shereen Parker has built a similar sense of creative community, but in a different form. As the owner of The Hive, a charming local shop filled with handcrafted goods, honey, and artisan gifts, she has turned her passion for sewing and handmade products into a proudly local enterprise that celebrates both creativity and connection.

“I just love creating anything I can turn my hand to.” Shereen’s creative journey began as a child, helping her mother sew on an old industrial machine. Decades later, that same love of making led her to open The Hive during one of New Zealand’s toughest economic periods.

“I bought the shop in the middle of the two lockdowns,” she recalls. “I left a job that paid me to stay at home. But I’ve had it for five years now, and I still love it. I love meeting people, dealing with locals, and talking to visitors from all over the world.”

What makes The Hive special is Shereen’s genuine care for people and the community of makers she supports. “I never judge a book by its cover. Whoever comes in here gets treated exactly the same. I want them to feel like they’re almost coming into my home.”

That warmth extends to the local artists and crafters whose work she sells. “Some of the ladies who make for me, it’s just a handcraft to them. They might not have an outlet, but they still want to keep making things and feel useful.”

Her approach to supporting local artisans isn’t about profit margins, it’s about empowerment. “I’d rather turn their products over faster and get them some business. It gives them self-worth. It gives them something to get up and do in the morning.”

Like Sue, Shereen believes creativity has deep mental and emotional benefits. “Even for myself, when I’m a bit down or tired, I go into my sewing room, shut the door, and just be in my space. It lifts you. It lifts your spirit.”

She also sees her community’s creative strength as part of what makes Pirongia unique. “We have this village mentality,” she says. “We all support each other. People buy from me because they know it’s local, good value, and good quality. I’ve lived in communities where you don’t even know your neighbour and I don’t like that. That’s not me.”

Both Sue and Shereen have built more than creative businesses, they’ve helped grow communities grounded in kindness, skill-sharing, and mutual support. In their hands, creativity becomes a tool for healing and human connection.

As Sue puts it, “It’s just a much better place to be yourself and offload a little bit and learn things.”

And for Shereen, the same principle applies: “You’ve got to do what inspires your soul. It’s important for everyone to have an outlet. We’ve lost so much of that and we need to bring it back.”

In Te Kuiti and Pirongia, the creative spirit is alive and well, shared by those who believe that making something with your hands can also help mend in many different ways.

This article is part of a series of stories connected with our Creativity Lives in Waikato project. We know that Waikato thrives with diverse and transformative creative activity, so we are helping to highlight some of the creativity that lives in our region. Check out this growing collection of stories featuring the local Waikato creative community.