Jelena Willis
Jelena Willis is a passionate self-taught artist and art therapist with more than 20 years of experience exploring creativity and artistic expression.
Working across mixed media, acrylics, watercolour and clay, Jelena has a particular fascination with transforming discarded and forgotten materials into unique and thought-provoking creations. Where others may see rubbish or an object that has reached the end of its usefulness, Jelena sees possibility.
Her work celebrates the beauty of the unexpected — reimagining, repurposing and transforming the discarded into something with a new story to tell.
This love of unusual materials and unconventional creations sits at the heart of Jelena’s approach to Recycled Creations, bringing sustainability and imagination together while challenging the idea that something must be new to have beauty or value.
Alongside her artistic practice, Jelena works within the community as an art therapist, including facilitating creative experiences through women’s group work. She believes strongly in the transformative power of creativity and its ability to support self-expression, empowerment, connection and emotional wellbeing.
Through her work, Jelena seeks to create safe and supportive spaces where people can explore their creativity without judgement and discover what can emerge when imagination is given room to play.
For Jelena, both people and materials can hold possibilities that aren’t always immediately visible. Sometimes all that is needed is the opportunity to see them differently.
Vicki Colwell
Vicki Colwell has worn many hats throughout her life, with experience spanning tourism, hospitality, retail and more than 22 years in education, including teaching English to international students both overseas and here in Queensland.
Creativity, however, has always been part of who she is. From a young age, Vicki enjoyed crafting and making things by hand, a passion she has been fortunate to carry throughout her life. Prior to COVID, she also spent six years volunteering in aged care, facilitating weekly craft workshops and sharing the enjoyment, connection and sense of accomplishment that creativity can bring.
Over the past decade, Vicki has become increasingly concerned about the enormous amount of clothing, household items and everyday materials that are discarded. Rather than seeing these things simply as waste, she began looking at them differently — asking what could be reused, recycled, repurposed or reimagined.
This philosophy has become an important part of her creative practice and everyday life.
Vicki is also deeply community-minded. She has developed a wonderful network of like-minded people, groups and organisations, both within her local community and further afield, who share and redistribute useful items rather than allowing them to go to waste. From friends and community organisations to bush kindies and other groups, the idea is simple: if something still has value, find somewhere that value can continue.
For Vicki, Recycled Creations is about more than making beautiful things. It is about creativity, connection and discovering new possibilities in what others might overlook.
Recycled Creations
Together, Jelena and Vicki bring complementary experiences, ideas and creative approaches to Recycled Creations.
At its heart is a shared belief that we need to rethink our relationship with waste.
An unwanted object can become an artwork.
A discarded material can become a resource.
Something forgotten can become useful again.
But Recycled Creations is also about bringing people together through creativity.
Each month, Jelena and Vicki come together with others for an Art & Craft Gathering — a relaxed opportunity to create, share ideas, experiment with materials and enjoy the simple pleasure of making things together.
These gatherings reflect the spirit behind Recycled Creations: creativity doesn’t need to be perfect, expensive or complicated. Sometimes the most interesting ideas begin with a discarded object, a collection of leftover materials, a conversation around a table and the question:
“What could we make from this?”
Through creativity, community and a little imagination, Recycled Creations encourages people to reuse, recycle, repurpose and reimagine — discovering that what appears to be the end of one thing may simply be the beginning of something else.
Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission
Turning waste into possibility through creativity and community.
At Recycled Creations, our mission is to inspire people to reuse, repurpose and reimagine unwanted materials rather than sending them to landfill.
Through creative workshops, monthly Art & Craft Gatherings, De-Stash Markets and community activities, we bring people together to explore creativity, learn new skills and discover the potential in everyday discarded items.
We believe creativity should be accessible, affordable and inclusive, and that participating in art and craft can support mental wellbeing, encourage self-expression and create meaningful connections with others.
Our workshops and activities can be adapted for different ages, abilities, organisations and community groups, making creativity and sustainable thinking accessible to as many people as possible.
Create more. Waste less. Connect with others.
Our Vision
A connected and creative community where unwanted doesn’t mean worthless.
Our vision is to help create a future where people think differently before they throw something away.
We want more individuals, families, schools, businesses and community organisations to recognise that unwanted materials can still have value — whether they are reused, shared, repaired, repurposed or transformed into something completely new.
We envision communities where creativity brings people together, supports wellbeing and inspires a more thoughtful relationship with the things we consume and discard.
By sharing ideas, materials, skills and creativity, we hope to encourage a simple question to become part of everyday life:
“Before I throw this away, what else could it become?”
Reuse • Repurpose • Reimagine • Create • Connect
