Why did you become a Sparkie?
I felt a connection with what Spark is trying to achieve. The co-work club initiative appealed to me because I was struggling with working from home. I was feeling quite isolated and I was isolating myself more as a result. A bit like exercise – once you stop exercising, it can perpetuate. Hence, when I saw Spark advertise CoWork Club, I thought, ‘I’m going to go along to that.’ Then I spoke to the CoWork Sparkies, and I could see that there is a need for this kind of thing. That’s why I wanted to volunteer.

What brings you joy?
Connecting with people and meeting new people brings me joy. People give me energy! That’s why I knew I had to get myself out of this slump because I get much more energy from people.

What hobbies do you have?
I like doing dot mandala. It’s a form of meditation that’s used by Hindu and Buddhist priests to teach discipline. It’s similar to Indigenous art, so it’s dot painting. Generally, you’re working in circles and it’s all about spacing, so you’re just dotting in circles, and you can do swooshes and what they call walking dots to create a bit of texture. It takes a bit of patience but it’s a good way to slow myself down. So, when you’re doing it, you’re not thinking about other things – just really focused on what you’re doing. It’s a calming exercise.

I’ve just got a new Thermomix and it’s blowing my mind – I’m using it every single day. I’ve been selling off all my other appliances because it just replaces everything – it’s amazing. My passion for cooking has been rekindled! We’re empty nesters, and when you go down to two people, it’s easy to make simple meals. We’re cooking a lot more together and trying different dishes each week now, so it’s great.

Any personal experiences with loneliness you wish to share?
Since running my own business from home over the last few years, I’ve experienced true loneliness. The last of our kids left home, and both my pets passed away. So, for the first time I didn’t have any living beings in the house and I was feeling quite lonely and down. It’s very challenging to get motivated and be productive when you’re on your own.

I found myself withdrawing from people generally – for example, I dropped out of my exercise class. It was a real eye-opener for me about how much we can isolate ourselves once you get into that mode. So, I knew that I had to find a way to reconnect with people.

What’s your favourite movie?
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