Returning to work after a year of maternity leave is a big milestone.
For Elena Giroli, returning as Creative Works Manager means reconnecting with a community she knows well while bringing a fresh perspective to the needs of working parents, freelancers and local businesses.
Elena has been part of Creative Works since 2020, joining just as the world went into lockdown. One of her first challenges was helping keep the community connected while the building itself was closed. Since becoming Creative Works Manager in 2021, she has played a key role in shaping day-to-day life at Creative Works, from supporting members and delivering events and programs to building partnerships with local and cultural organizations.
Her return marks a new chapter, both personally and professionally. Her experience as a working parent has given her a more personal understanding of the importance of flexibility, connection and support; and how a workspace can help people balance work with the realities of everyday life.
Returning with a Fresh Perspective
Returning to work after maternity leave has brought a new perspective on the importance of flexibility and support for working parents. This experience will help shape how Creative Works accommodates parents, ensuring they feel supported, stay connected, and are better able to balance their professional and family lives.
For parents who are also freelancers and small business owners, having a dedicated place to work outside the home can offer a welcome change of environment, a sense of structure and opportunities to connect with others. For Elena, these are now benefits she understands not just through her role at Creative Works, but through her own experience as a working parent.
Elena plays an important role in both the day-to-day running of Creative Works and its wider strategic work. Her responsibilities include co-leading Creative Connect, a grant-funded program and accelerator designed to open up the creative industries to people from underrepresented groups, as well as representing Creative Works across the borough’s wider creative network. She also sits on the advisory board of Fluo, one of Creative Works’ resident businesses.
Reconnecting With The Creative Works Community
A lot can happen in a year. While some Creative Works members will already know Elena, others have joined while she was away. Her return is an opportunity to reconnect familiar faces and welcome new ones into the community.
Working independently offers freedom, but it can also mean navigating work, personal commitments and the everyday demands of life largely on your own. For those balancing deadlines with school runs, building a business around family life, or simply looking for a change from working at home, having a place to work alongside others can make a real difference.
That sense of connection is an important part of life at Creative Works. Community is built through everyday moments: a conversation over coffee, an introduction between members with shared interests, or simply knowing there are people around who understand the realities of running a business and making work fit around life.
A More Connected Local Community
As Elena returns as Creative Works Manager, the focus is on making those connections happen and ensuring Creative Works remains a welcoming space for people at different stages of their working lives.
Whether it’s a freelancer looking to meet like-minded people, a small business owner hoping to grow their network, or someone looking for a workspace with a little more structure and flexibility, the aim is to create an environment where people feel comfortable, supported, and connected.
With so many families, independent professionals and small businesses making up the local community in Walthamstow, Creative Works has an opportunity to bring people together in a way that reflects the realities of everyday life.
Returning after a year of maternity leave has brought a new perspective on how much work and family life can change.
For Elena, this next chapter is about bringing her professional experience and a new personal perspective to that work; helping Creative Works remain a place where people feel connected, local voices matter, and community is built through everyday relationships.
