Create to Connect is a space for making art side by side — exploring materials, slowing down, and connecting through the simple act of creating together.

This studio is built on the idea that connection doesn’t always come from talking. Sometimes it happens when you’re sitting next to someone, hands busy, mind curious, making something in your own way while sharing the same space. Art becomes the bridge — not the goal, not the outcome, just the way in.

Here, the focus is on process-based art. We explore, experiment, and play with materials without pressure to produce polished or perfect work. Most weeks, you’ll leave with something you’ve made — but more importantly, with a sense of having taken time, tried something new, and connected.

And always, at the heart of it all:
you can’t get art wrong.

Hi, I’m Brooke

I’m Brooke Ary, the founder of Create to Connect. Art, education, and connection have been at the centre of my work for over two decades.

I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Teaching, and I’ve spent many years working with children, families, and groups across a wide range of settings. I’ve taught art in both primary and secondary schools, supporting students of all abilities to build confidence, explore creativity, and find their own way of expressing themselves.

Alongside my teaching background, I’ve completed a Diploma of Art Therapy, which has deeply informed how I hold space, guide groups, and design experiences that feel safe, inclusive, and supportive — without art needing to be explained, analysed, or “fixed.”

Across my work with neurodivergent children, individuals with additional needs, and community groups, one thing has always been clear to me: making art together matters. It creates moments of ease, connection, and understanding that don’t rely on words.

Create to Connect grew from this belief — that when people are given time, materials, and permission to explore, something meaningful happens naturally.

If you’d like to learn more about what sessions look like and who they’re for, you can explore the Services page for more details.