Welcome to One River Studio
One River Studio is a small creative practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, making cards, journals, prints, and creative tools for people navigating the full experience of being human — which turns out to be quite demanding.
I'm Tara — a poet and researcher who has spent many years listening to the stories of people living with chronic illness, most recently as part of a Marsden-funded project on the lived experience of young-onset Parkinson's. I also live with young-onset Parkinson's myself, which means I come to this work from the inside. What I've learned — from the research, and from my own experience — is that moments of humour, connection, and stubborn creativity matter just as much as hard times. Often more. One River Studio is my attempt to make things that honour both. You'll find cards that help you support a friend going through something hard, but without the clichés. Cards that offer a laugh without dismissing the struggle. Cards that say "I see you" in a way that feels honest, gentle, and a little bit cheeky. And reflective cards and small creative tools for navigating your own inner world — ways to pause, breathe, and find steadiness in the middle of the everyday. Everything is made with flow in mind: staying creative, staying connected, no matter what life throws at you.
Thanks for visiting - do come again!
Many streams, one river. Find your flow.
I'm Tara — a poet and researcher who has spent many years listening to the stories of people living with chronic illness, most recently as part of a Marsden-funded project on the lived experience of young-onset Parkinson's. I also live with young-onset Parkinson's myself, which means I come to this work from the inside. What I've learned — from the research, and from my own experience — is that moments of humour, connection, and stubborn creativity matter just as much as hard times. Often more. One River Studio is my attempt to make things that honour both. You'll find cards that help you support a friend going through something hard, but without the clichés. Cards that offer a laugh without dismissing the struggle. Cards that say "I see you" in a way that feels honest, gentle, and a little bit cheeky. And reflective cards and small creative tools for navigating your own inner world — ways to pause, breathe, and find steadiness in the middle of the everyday. Everything is made with flow in mind: staying creative, staying connected, no matter what life throws at you.
Thanks for visiting - do come again!
Many streams, one river. Find your flow.