Hello! I’m Kirstin, founder of The Opaque Elephant. I’m a qualified teacher turned creative wellbeing facilitator based in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. I deliver mindful art workshops and drop-ins, seasonal creative experiences, and design reflective resources to help people slow down, reconnect with their creativity and find a little more joy in everyday life across Ashfield, Mansfield and the wider Nottinghamshire area.
From community workshops, partnership with local organisations, to sharing free resources through this website, my aim is always the same: to create welcoming, accessible spaces where people can explore, create and connect without pressure or expectation.
Alongside my workshops, you’ll also find articles, creative prompts and nature-inspired resources that encourage mindful living, curiosity and self-reflection with practical ideas for creativity and wellbeing.
My Journey into Creative Workshops
Before starting The Opaque Elephant, I spent over ten years working in education in a variety of settings, both in the UK and internationally. Through this career, I developed a passion for creating engaging, inclusive learning experiences that encouraged curiosity, confidence, and personal growth. I loved helping people learn and develop, but wanted to create experiences that were less centred on exams and ticking boxes.
The Opaque Elephant started life as a place to share ideas about nature, spirituality, wellness and creativity. As those ideas grew, I began creating handmade products and printable resources that reflected these themes, and naturally morphed into delivering creative art workshops and craft sessions in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Hucknall and online.
Today, creative workshops are the centre of my work as The Opaque Elephant, while the blog continues to offer free resources, inspiration and reflection for anyone looking for different ways to slow down and embrace creativity in everyday life.
My Approach
Every workshop, resource or article I create is grounded in a few simple principles.
- Accessible: Creativity should be for everyone. You don’t need artistic experience, expensive materials or natural talent to enjoy making something, or to benefit from creativity. My workshops are designed to be welcoming to complete beginners as much as experienced creatives.
- Reflective: I believe creativity offers an opportunity to pause, notice and reconnect with ourselves. My sessions encourage curiosity, mindfulness, exploration and connecting abstract ideas with everyday experiences.
- Playful: I think some of the best ideas come when we let go of expectations. I create spaces where people are encouraged to experiment, embrace happy accidents, and enjoy the process.
Creative Resources & Wellbeing Blog
Although the workshops are now the main focus of The Opaque Elephant, they’re only part of what I create.
On this website, you’ll also find a range of resources and articles exploring the connections between nature, creativity, wellness and mindfulness. I’m often inspired by seasonal living and creative wellbeing principles, so there’s always something new to share.
As The Opaque Elephant has grown, I’ve also developed a small selection of products and crafts that complement these ideas. You can browse those on Ko-Fi, or can sometimes find me at local craft fairs in Ashfield, Mansfield and wider Nottinghamshire.
On the blog, resources are generally split into one of the following categories:
- Wellness practices for self-compassion and balance
- Creative exercises to reconnect with your imagination and spark inspiration
- Reflective journaling prompts to help you explore your thoughts and emotions
- Nature-inspired activities to slow down and find beauty in the world around you.
Creative Collaboration in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
I love collaborating with organisations that believe creativity should be accessible and meaningful, and venues that are at the centre of their community, delivering creative workshops, mindful art sessions and community arts activities in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Recent collaborations have included working with Ashfield Creates to deliver creative wellbeing workshops centred on encouraging adults to embrace a state of play. This has included working with Your Time Believe Belong Become CIC in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire and Cafe 22 at the Ashwood Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
I’ve also delivered community painting sessions and creative drop-in workshops for mixed groups in different settings, including at the Rainbow Circle camps in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
You can learn more about the events, workshops, and activities I offer here.
Thank You
Thank you for visiting The Opaque Elephant.
I hope this website – or one of my events – encourages you to slow down a little, get a bit creative, and to embrace the magic in the everyday.