Crafting Connection, One Bowl at a Time

When acclaimed Fremantle ceramicist Simone Nabholz first sat at a pottery wheel, she wasn’t starting a business; she was trying to reshape her life. A decade ago, in the grip of burnout, anxiety, and postnatal depression, Simone reached out to Lifeline WA during a mental health crisis. That call was a turning point, and what followed was a journey of healing shaped slowly, intentionally, and with clay.

Today, Simone is the founder of Winterwares, a serene studio in Fremantle that helps others find calm. This year she returned to Lifeline WA to lead a community project for the 2025 Black Diamond Gala Dinner, the organisation’s biggest annual fundraiser.

When Lifeline WA asked if she could create 200 handmade ceramic bowls as gifts for platinum-table guests, Simone’s first thought was “hard pass.” The process is laborious, with each bowl being touched dozens of times from sculpting to final firing.

But then she had an idea: “What if I didn’t have to do it alone?”

Simone threw open the doors of her studio, and invited the community in. The response was overwhelming: over several weeks, more than 300 bowls were shaped by friends, customers and total beginners, even people who had never touched clay before. Free workshops filled quickly, and from shared purpose emerged connection, stillness, and healing.

“People came in stressed or overwhelmed, and by the end of the session, they felt calm,” says Simone. “We rarely give ourselves permission to slow down, but it’s so necessary.”

Suppliers donated packaging, printing, and photography. Each bowl, lovingly made, became a symbol of community resilience and a deeply personal reminder that no one is alone.

Simone’s story, from calling Lifeline in crisis to helping others reconnect through creativity, demonstrates the full-circle impact of timely support. Her contribution was part of a bigger mission to raise funds to support the training of the next generation of crisis support volunteers.

“My goal was never to go back to the life I had,” says Simone. “It was to build something better, and now I get to help others do the same.” More than tokens of appreciation, the bowls are reminders to pause, to reconnect, and to be present, shaping a deeper sense of belonging and care.