Making Zen: Connection through Creativity
Oct 31, 2025
Wrapping Up Making Zen October 2025
The Making Zen Online Retreat has wrapped up for another year, and I'm still feeling the creative buzz. Twice a year, this retreat reminds me how beautiful it can be when we come together in celebration of artistry, inspiration, and heartfelt connection. Making Zen has become a gathering of makers from around the world, coming together to learn, share, and lift each other up. Every project, comment, and moment of encouragement reminds us just how special this community is.
The support of this community, especially through the VIP Pass, helps keep that spirit of community going. It allows us to compensate our artists fairly, support our small but mighty team, and even extend our reach through donations to CARE International. Together, we’re creating something far bigger than a week of workshops - with your help, we’re building a global circle of creativity, care, and connection.
Keep Connecting
It can feel daunting to try to figure out how to keep that connective energy going after a big gathering like Making Zen has finished, but it's not as hard as you might think! There are some things you can do that take a bit of planning and organizing, but with the beauty of the internet, there are lots of ways you can connect without a lot of extra time and effort. Some suggestions we have are:
1. Keep showing up for your art.
This might seem like it has not much to do with community, but our daily rhythms are foundational to how we show up in the world. If we want to be creative, we must create - even ten minutes a day can help us connect with ourselves through our art, which only makes it easier to build more community-driven art habits.
2. Join (or create) a small creative circle.
Check your local listings or social media for nearby gatherings that happen in person, or that happen online. You might even find some folks in our Facebook group who you enjoy connecting with, and may decide to start getting together online! Our Sashiko Stitch Club is another great place to find fellow slow stitchers.
3. Engage on social media mindfully.
Dive deeper and follow the artists you loved, share your progress, and comment on others’ work. This is a great, low-effort way to stay part of the conversation and keep creativity at the front of your mind.
4. Share what you’ve learned.
A great way to reflect on the event and process everything you've learned is to write about it! Consider sharing your reflections on your experience in our year-round Making Zen Facebook group, where you can have conversations with others coming from different perspectives.
5. Share what you've made!
Few things are sweeter and build connections better than a handmade gift. It may be fun to consider gifting your makes from the event, or making something new with the techniques you've learned to gift. Don't be afraid to share with people you'd like to get to know better - bonds are built when we put ourselves out there!
From Our Community
And in the spirit of celebrating putting ourselves out there, I'd like to share some of the gorgeous makes that have been rolling through our feed since the retreat began. Please, continue to tag us @zenstitching in your makes so we can continue to share the love!
Billy-Jane Gregory:
Inspired by Nichole Vogelsinger (Wild Boho) and Darcy Hunter
Donna D'zell:
Inspired by Kate Ward (Zen Stitching)
Agni Ogrodnik:
Inspired by Skye Pennant
Mareike Feiling:
Inspired by Karen Lewis
Susan Knutson:
Inspired by Deborah Fisher
Cheryl Connelly:
Inspired by Michelle Hamil
Dvorah Hellmann Kaufman:
Inspired by Donna Davies
Carrie Pippins:
Inspired by Helen Hiebert and Amy Maricle
Claire Cleary:
Inspired by Rebekah Johnston
Doreen Rhodes:
Inspired by Brooke Henry
Jennifer Pierce:
Inspired by Clarissa Grandi
Elizabeth McGee:
Inspired by Deanne Fitzpatrick
Happy making!
Feeling inspired? Don't forget to tag @zenstitching in your photos so we can see what you're making! And be sure to visit www.makingzen.com to join the waitlist for out next retreat.
