In a world of disposable everything, where flat-pack furniture reigns supreme and we’re all glued to our screens, Sne and Emmy have carved (pun very much intended) a niche that’s all about slowing down, reconnecting, and getting hands-on. A Collective Space blends woodworking, mental health and a dash of “who knows where this could go,” spirit, this duo is redefining how we think about wellbeing—one hand-carved spoon at a time.

So, woodworking and wellbeing—how did this all begin?

Sne: I’m actually a teacher by training. But then I stepped into my first classroom full of year two students and I freaked out. I was like, this is not the life for me. So then I trained to become a therapist and that’s been my journey so far. I met Emmy in 2017 and, you know, she has always been someone who’s really good at working with her hands, which is not the background I come from which is very acadEmmyc. So now we combine our two expertises together – woodworking and well-being in “A Collective Space.”

Emmy: I used to do lighting, sound and set design for theatres in Australia, and picked up the carpentry skills. Then I came back to Hong Kong and wanted to transfer those skills and make it a bit more lasting. The thing I didn’t like about theatre is that you make something, you put all your heart and soul into it for six weeks, and then the gig is over and you chuck it all away. I wanted to learn how to use my skills for furniture, where it’s much more long lasting.

You’ve turned it into a real movement. We love your spoon-carving sessions.  What makes working with wood so special?

Emmy: I think there’s something really interesting about using wood as a therapeutic mode because it’s a natural resource. You know, it has its own kind of characteristics and its own qualities to it. Its own personality. For a lot of people in Hong Kong, the only connection that they’ve had with wood or doing things with wood is that they’ll just touch a tree every now and then. Very few people have actually put a saw to it or tried to carve something out of it or do something else with it, but it’s very empowering to know that you can actually make a thing out of your hands, out of this natural resource.

Speaking of therapy—how does woodworking tie into mental health?

Something very interesting we’ve seen, especially when we do our group sessions, is that because people are distracted by the thing that they’re doing, like carving a spoon or whatever it is, they have an activity, an objective. But the instructions for carving a spoon take about ten minutes, so then you spend an hour and a half or two hours sitting in quite a meditative state, working on your spoon. When your body is distracted by these things, I think it opens up your mind to thoughts that maybe you didn’t give yourself time to have otherwise. 

Do you see a lot of perfectionism show up?

Sne: A lot of people get quite anxious about making sure their spoon is perfect and don’t want to make a mistake. But in a way, it’s helpful because now their anxiety or nerves are contained around the task and they are free to talk about something else. Suddenly we find we’re talking about memories, or things that might have upset us, or things that we feel emotionally vulnerable talking about. It’s so beautiful because it’s just something that’s so uncommon, that kind of safety to talk about those things. 

Emmy: I think especially for men, it opens up a chance to have conversations that maybe they wouldn’t have in other circumstances.

Let’s talk about men’s mental health in particular. What else have you noticed?

Sne: As part of my academic research, I came across what they call “men’s sheds,” where men get together and do woodworking. The reason these programs are running is because it promotes things like social inclusion, feeling like you have someone who understands what you are going through. 

What we are seeing with men is that there is definitely more and more of a realization that they need help, need to be able to ask for help, and need to be able to talk about how we’re feeling. But I think a lot of men in Hong Kong are still maybe a bit nervous, maybe a bit unsure about how to get that help and where to get that help. Programs, like men’s sheds, or our sessions, are important because it allows men a first experience at opening up to somebody else.

In Hong Kong even slightly bigger guys can really struggle with image issues. In the UK, I’m considered average sized, but here in Hong Kong I’m a giant! What’s a healthy way to push back on negative comments or criticism?

Sne: I think it’s a balance between taking ownership and standing your ground. If I really take ownership when it’s coming out of someone else’s mouth, I’m choosing to believe that it’s not a bad reflection of me, which changes how I interact with that person. I can come at that person not from defensiveness or being offended, but from a place of, “Okay, what now? Why is that such a bad thing for you?”

These conversations, especially if they’re from an older generation, are something they may have grown up with – being told, “You’re too fat” or “too skinny,” or “eat more rice.” It’s so common in our culture and we keep passing it on, yet we could be the one that can stop it. Maybe it means that I’m not going to be so hard on my auntie, who I know is going to say it at Sunday brunch. Maybe I’m going to ignore her, and just do my best to deflect the conversation somewhere else. You know, sometimes not acknowledging things doesn’t have to be a bad response, it can just be neutral.

What’s one small habit for better mental health that can make a big difference?

Sne: I’m a big believer in writing things down. 

The other day, I made three or four lists of random things, partially because I could feel my brain was so busy, just jumping from one thought to another constantly. I wrote each thought down, as haphazard as they were. It doesn’t need to make sense. It doesn’t need to be written in neat little lines. I wrote it on the back of a park and shop receipt. When it’s physically written down somewhere, it’s not in the brain. I can stick it on my fridge and deal with it later. 

It’s allowing yourself to have that thought and also giving yourself permission to say I can’t deal with this right now. Leave it in your notes app. Come back to it on a different day. Or don’t. You don’t have to look at it. That’s fine. 

Here at Gentlemen Who Brunch, we do love a bit of self-indulgence. But what’s the difference between harmless comfort habits or something masking deeper issues?

A comfort habit shouldn’t make you feel guilty when you participate in it. So if you’re going out for brunch, and there’s a part of you that feels some sense of dread or anxiety or guilt about the choices you’re making, my question would be, where does that come from? Why is that guilt there? Is that guilt there because you genuinely feel like that habit has gone out of hand? Or is it maybe guilt from, you know, some kind of fat-shaming we experience? Being able to dissect those lines of guilt serves us really well. And then, does that feeling serve you, or can you let it go? 

And talking of a bit of indulgence, we always close out with this last question: What’s your go-to brunch order? 

Sne: That’s so hard! I have been thinking a lot about this place called No.11 in Cheung Chau. It’s not easy to get to. It is a walk from the ferry pier, but we used to go there almost every Sunday when we lived there, which is where we started woodworking. We’d take the dogs and have a grand old time. They have an amazing breakfast burger type thing and it became our ritual. 

Emmy: I think mine would be pancakes? I am a big pancakes person…or a full English? Or a breakfast burrito? Or a French toast? I just love food! And as long as there’s coffee, I’m good. 

Ready to carve out some time for yourself? Book your spot in a woodworking workshop today.

A Collective Space
Shop 1B, Lantau Island, 14 Mui Wo Ferry Pier Rd, Mui Wo, Hong Kong
@acollective.space