Welcome to Zest Creative.
Living Life!
Zest Creative is a social initiative exploring how to live well across all stages of life, particularly:
Creative Aging
Ageing can be a vibrant and fulfilling phase of life. We offer programs and activities that encourage conversation, creativity and self-reflection to consider how we live and age well.
Friendship and Connection
Meaningful relationships have the single greatest influence over longevity and quality of life. Our initiatives focus on fostering social interactions and building strong connections, recognising that supportive friendships and community ties are essential for a fulfilling life.
The Mission
Zest Creative was founded in 2015 with the mission to empower older Australians to remain in charge of their life journey as they age.
We are living longer and as we age there will be changes in our physical, mental and emotional health. How can we spark conversations, take pragmatic action and engage in forward planning to ensure we live and age well in our communities?
When it became increasingly apparent in the ‘ageing well’ conversations how loneliness and human disconnection are experienced by people in later life, Zest Creative broadened its focus in 2023, to alleviate loneliness and improve the health and wellbeing for people of all ages in our communities.
About Lia
Lia Parsons, a social advocate, is dedicated to tackle ageism, prevent loneliness, and promote positive ageing. With a background in nursing and occupational therapy, her focus is on ‘engaging with’ instead of ‘doing for’ people, to encourage and motivate everyone, with support from peers, community, and governments, to take responsibility for their own future ageing year, their own living and dying.
To support this process, Lia, in partnership with TACSI and older Australians co-designed an ‘Ageing Well in your Community’ conversation series which has been presented in South Australian Communities. Lia wrote the book: ‘Getting older, let’s talk about it!’ a conversation guide to ageing well in your community.
In 2023, in partnership with Rosemary Bryant Institute – UniSA, The Hut Community Centre and Elja Parsons (MCouns&PsychTh), Lia co-designed ‘Friendship and Connection’, an 8-week program to alleviate loneliness. This supportive group program for women, is focused on strategies that enhance and nurture positive friendships and human connections which boosts emotional health and wellbeing.
Further, Lia is a social and intergenerational village builder and as co-founder of Miller’s Corner Cohousing in the Adelaide Hills, she actively promotes intergenerational inclusion, community and village building. “It takes a village to raise a child and … it takes a village to live and age well!”
Get in Touch
Have questions or you want to learn more about Zest Creative and the ‘Ageing Well in your Community’ or the ‘Friendship and Connection’ programs, get in touch with Lia here:
Lia Parsons
Miller’s Corner
2 Dunn Road
Mount Barker, SA 5152
Email: lia.parsons@yahoo.com.au
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