Creativity is the key(ring) to Margaret’s wellbeing
12th December 2025 | 4 min read
Following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, Margaret found new purpose crafting unique clay keyrings that exercise her hands and her mind – and help ensure their owners never lose their keys!
Margaret, who lives at Reynella Hillside Care Community, south of Adelaide, is a true entrepreneurial spirit. A former beauty consultant who also helped her husband with their whitegoods business, she understands how to make and sell visually compelling objects people love.
Having a go
“I’m limited with the things I can do, so I do what I can,” says Margaret. “My hands don’t allow me to write so well but I can roll balls of clay and I can mix colours. I feel better in the morning knowing I’m doing something creative. It’s given me purpose.”
Working with wellbeing manager Alexandra, Margaret has created hundreds of colourful keyrings she sells at Reynella Hillside’s café, with proceeds paying for more materials.
Her favourite combination is “Hot pink, with pale pink and a dash of maroon!”
From little things, big things grow
“We started out just rolling balls of polymer clay,” says Alexandra. “It was good for Margaret’s coordination and gave her the opportunity to use her knowledge of colour combinations. Then we hit on the idea of turning them into keyrings. Each one is a true original, just like Margaret. And people love them.”
“Alexandra and I make a good team,” says Margaret. “We’re doing something productive, and it feels wonderful.”
The impact on Margaret’s mental and physical wellbeing has been profound. With a renewed sense of purpose, she enjoys attending concerts with visiting musician Kelly, and coffee catchups with Alexandra and team members Mel and Jodie.
And the lucky owners of one of Margaret’s keyrings have the privilege of holding a powerful symbol of her personality and persistence.
A lesson to laugh over
While they’re running like a well-oiled machine now, both laugh at the memory of an early lesson.
“Margaret spent hours making beads and handed them to me for drying,” says Alexandra. “I got the dryer setting wrong and burned the lot. I was mortified!”
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