Your Meet Up Connectors

Creative Assistant

Mia Edwin

Hi, I’m Mia. I am an introverted person who is sensitive and has struggled with shyness.

I can find it difficult to initiate and maintain connections with others due to fear of social awkwardness and the stress of meeting other people’s social expectations. Throughout school and higher education I have viewed my quiet characteristics as negative traits which stopped me from achieving as much as I could have, which was reinforced by the attitudes within these institutions towards quiet people. I often find myself overwhelmed when socialising in big groups, which has left me feeling isolated and unable to contribute to conversations.

However, I am learning to love my quiet traits and reframe them as positive attributes which are valuable and can provide a different perspective in conversations.

I have been forced out of my social comfort zone many times, which did help me recognise my strengths, but I believe quiet people should be given the space to emerge at their own pace. I am keen to reframe attitudes towards quietness and promote confidence in quieteers; I want people to know they can achieve whatever they set their mind to with their quietness as a strength. I really hope to achieve this through my role as Volunteer Creative Assistant, where I hope to inspire others through projects I work on with the QC team.

Community Engagement Lead

Jo Buckingham

Hi, I’m Jo.

Growing up, I was painfully shy and spent a long time believing that being quiet meant there was something wrong with me. Social situations often felt overwhelming, and I found it much easier to observe than participate. Over time, though, I began to realise that my quietness had also given me strengths – empathy, deep listening, thoughtfulness and an awareness of others.

A big turning point came when I started working on traditional sailing ships. In that environment, I discovered that quiet people could bring calm, care and strong teamwork, and I found I loved supporting others to grow in confidence too. It helped me understand that I didn’t need to become a different person to belong.

Since then, across my career, I’ve been passionate about creating welcoming, low-pressure spaces where quieter, introverted, socially anxious and neurodivergent people can feel safe, valued and accepted as themselves. I believe the right environment and gentle encouragement can make a huge difference to someone’s confidence and sense of belonging, and I’m excited to help create more of those spaces and opportunities through Quiet Connections.

Email:jo@quietconnections.co.uk

A zine (pronounced "zeen", short for magazine or fanzine) is a small, self-published booklet that people create to share ideas, stories, artwork, experiences, opinions, poetry, photography, or almost anything else.

What’s the workshop going to be like?

In this relaxed, creative evening, you will learn how to make your own zine. There is absolutely no pressure to create a 'masterpiece' or rush your work; our main hope is that you simply enjoy the process, go at a pace you are comfortable with, and perhaps feel inspired to continue making zines outside of the workshop. We have designed this to be a collaborative space where you are welcome to discuss your ideas with others if you'd like, but there is absolutely no pressure to do so. Gentle support will be provided by our team throughout the evening.

Although the workshop runs until 10pm, you are completely free to finish early or quietly slip away earlier if you need to.

Where to find us

Breage Village Hall

Trelyn, Breage, Helston, TR13 9PU

Once you're at the venue, just knock on either door and we'll let you in.

Google Map | Street View

(Note: If using Google Maps, it may come up at ‘1 Shute Hill’, which is not quite right as the village hall is unfortunately not labelled)

Getting here

• By car: There is a small amount of parking at the venue, or more available on neighbouring roads. 
• By bus: 2, 2A, 380, 382 / Breage, Shute Hill bus stop (3 minute walk to venue)

To receive more detailed instructions on getting to this Meet Up, please contact jo@quietconnections.co.uk.