Happiness researcher and founder of the positive psychology movement Martin Seligman says that "flow" is one of the ultimate states of happiness, flow being a state where you're enjoying what you are doing so much that you lose track of time. 

Welcome to ACC’s Women in the Shed program.

Last year we ran a trial and this year we got the program formally up and running with Learn Local funding.

Jen, who runs the sessions, is a mosaic artist and welder with both a practical and artistic soul. She has lots of tool knowledge from a country upbringing and her diverse artistic practise, and she has a can do attitude.

I asked her to share some thoughts about the program and she says,

After teaching the women the basics of how to use power tools, and work with timber, metal and tiles I have seen them come up with their own amazing ideas.

Days in the shed are usually filled with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra, coffee, a never ending stream of Pinterest sharing, the muted sounds of machinery, humming to "Fly me to the moon," and weekly conversations around daughters and sons, projects to come, favourite recipes, home renovations, European holidays and bargains found at the Camberwell market or Salvos store.

The girls and I regularly miss lunch because we are so blissfully creating with our new found skills.

Throughout the program the women have been introduced to a range of tools - and have gone on to master the ones they need to complete their particular projects. These have included:

• Handsaws and jigsaws

• Angle grinders

• Sanders

• Bench grinders and polishers

• Dremels

• Hot torches, and

• Vices, clamps, screwdrivers, hammers, nails and screws.

Jen says that one of the highlights from running this program is the confidence it has built in the women who have participated.

She provided a couple of quotes from the participants,

I've seen all these power tools in my husband’s shed for years but never knew how to use them.

and

There is so much support. Women helping women learn to use tools and make and repair things for our homes is really confidence building.

Our Women in the Shed program runs on Tuesdays. We look forward to continuing it when we’re back on deck!