One of the things we’ve noticed over and over again at Milford Makes events is that people don’t just come for the activity, they come for the people.
Yes, there’s always a project on the table. Paint, paper, fabric, yarn, glue—something is getting made. But just as often, what people remember afterward is who was sitting across from them, or who quietly helped them figure something out, or who made them feel comfortable enough to try something new.
Cultivate & Create: A Restorative Retreat for Makers came together in that same spirit. It’s not just a collection of workshops and meals and activities. It’s a day shaped by people who genuinely care about making space for others to create.
Here’s a look at the people helping bring it to life.
Liz Garypie – Retreat Creator & Crafting CreativiTea Workshop Leader
Liz is a lifelong maker, knitter, and the founder of the Milford Makers Meet Up group, created to give local creatives a place to gather and make together.
She also works as a career and leadership coach, helping people navigate growth and change—but at the heart of everything she does is a belief in creativity as a grounding force.
For Cultivate & Create, Liz has shaped the entire experience around one guiding idea: what if creative people were given a full day where they didn’t have to squeeze making into the margins of everything else?
She will also be leading The Herbal Tea Ritual, a hands-on experience where participants explore herbal tea blending and create their own take-home tea sachet. Drawing from years of experience growing herbs and developing her own blends at home, Liz brings together creativity, wellness, and simple sensory ritual in a way that feels both grounding and approachable.
Kitchen Melissa – Meals for the Day
If you’ve ever eaten one of Melissa’s meals, you already know this part is going to be good.
Kitchen Melissa is a local prepared meal service focused on thoughtfully crafted, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free meals made with seasonal, high-quality ingredients. Her work is rooted in a personal journey with health and nutrition, and a belief that food should be both nourishing and accessible.
For the retreat, Melissa will be providing a full day of meals—from a light breakfast to a catered lunch to an afternoon grazing table—so participants can stay focused on creating, not planning what’s next to eat.
Kelly Warters – Gentle Movement & Nature Walk
Kelly is the owner of A Breath of Calm Yoga and has been teaching yoga since 2010. Her classes blend breath, movement, and mindfulness in a way that feels steady and welcoming, whether you’ve practiced yoga for years or have never stepped on a mat.
At Cultivate & Create, Kelly will be guiding gentle chair yoga for makers, designed specifically for people who spend a lot of time working with their hands. She’ll also lead a meditative nature walk, offering a quiet pause in the day to reset, breathe, and reconnect with the surroundings.
Tammy Theis Satterlee – Meditative Creativity Workshop
Tammy is a spiritual director, chaplain, and retreat leader whose work centers on presence, reflection, and creative exploration as pathways to healing and clarity.
Her approach is deeply grounded in listening and making space for people exactly as they are. She works with individuals and groups through practices like SoulCollage®, expressive arts, breathwork, and reflective writing.
At the retreat, Tammy will be leading a Meditative Creativity Workshop using SoulCollage® and reflective writing prompts, offering participants a gentle way to explore inner thoughts and creative intuition—no artistic experience required.
Rose Napoli – Chair Massage (Optional Add-On)
Rose is a licensed massage therapist with a background in physical therapy and a wide range of holistic practices, including energy work, cupping therapy, Thai yoga, and more.
Her work is centered around helping people reconnect with their bodies and create space for healing and awareness.
At Cultivate & Create, Rose will be offering optional chair massage sessions throughout the day—a quiet opportunity to pause, reset, and take care of your body in between creative time.
What ties all of this together
Different practices. Different backgrounds. Different paths into creative and healing work.
But what they share is simple: A belief that slowing down and being creative matters.
That’s what we’re building toward with Cultivate & Create—not just a schedule of activities, but a space where it feels easy to settle in, make something, and be around other people doing the same.
And really, that’s what we’re trying to build more of through Milford Makes overall: places where creativity isn’t something you squeeze in, but something you return to.
Cultivate & Create: A Restorative Retreat for Makers
takes place on October 10, 2026.
You can learn more and register at: https://milfordmakes.org/cultivate-create/
Milford Makes is a community-focused initiative dedicated to accessible, creative, and hands-on workshops that encourage making, learning, and sharing together.