Mirbo North Recovery program - Whittling workshops

“Whittle Your Troubles Away.”

In 2024, after a devastating storm struck the rural community of Mirboo North, I was invited by Windermere - a recovery support organisation - to contribute to the recovery process by running carving workshops that helped residents reconnect and heal through creativity. The feedback was that such workshops usually attract mostly women, but this time the project brought together people from all walks of life - men, young people, grandparents, farmers, and more. Over several weekends, I got to know the people of Mirboo North and loved every moment of it. When the project concluded, the community received a set of whittling knives, cut-resistant gloves, and timber, all of which are now kept at the local library for any group to use and continue enjoying whittling together.