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The Workbench is in the very beginning of its long growing period. If it were an oak tree, you could hardly see its sprout popping out from under the dirt. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot in its future. The goal of The Workbench is to build a space to learn creatively and discover parts of yourself you didn’t once pay attention to. Most importantly, it is a place to distinguish the “cannots” in life. Not being born with a green thumb, or a creative bone are not excuses which are allowed here. Instead we encourage to do something for the action and process, instead of the outcome.
However, I think it’s important that people understand where we are going, or at least understand what the tree will look like when its grown, even if it is currently just a sprout. With this blog I want to show what it means to ‘be well’ in Milwaukee through the amazing businesses, makers, and creators that keep this city alive. In some way or another, these businesses were formed because the owners believe in treating, taking care of, and building upon yourself and the community. Some you may have heard of, others you may not, but all build upon the idea of creative wellness.
I decided to base the blog this way for two reasons:
- I am not a wellness expert. I do not have the license, experience or education to try to tell people how to live their lives. I created The Workbench because I wanted a resource like this in Milwaukee, but couldn’t find one. So I made it!
- The amount of art, culinary, health, skillset, environmental, and Hygge wellness that exists in Milwaukee is abundant when you start looking. These people are the experts! And they deserve a platform to share their skills and experiences.
As this idea grows into a business, my hope is to start workshops and classes relating to creative wellness, many of which will (hopefully) be instructed by the amazing businesses spotlighted here. As workshops grow, so will memberships, and hopefully one day, a permanent, physical space will exist for people to attend classes, work on projects, and build a community focusing on building up each others emerging skills and passions. This is the oak tree, the final product, in its full form.
So know that every share, subscription, donation, and interaction helps to achieve this goal. Of course I am sure it will not take the exact shape of the grand and glorious campus I have in my head. The future always finds a way to change your plans. However, at its core is the idea of gathering to focus on being well, loving yourself and loving the community you are apart of. No matter what it looks like at the end, this will always be what The Workbench is about.
-Maddy Day, Founder
