“You get this rough piece of wood and it turns into this smooth, shiny piece of wood, and I love it. I just love it.”

After decades where drinking had become her identity, her routine, her reward, her confidence boost. Sue rediscovered her creativity in sobriety. And she didn’t just dabble. She built a new life.

Her workshop near Warrington, Cheshire, became her sanctuary.

“I go in there and I just lose track of time”

What started with a ring and a skateboard became a series of bottle openers, chopping boards, and vases – each piece a quiet celebration of focus, beauty, and self-belief.

“I wasn’t going to make bottle openers, because I don’t drink. But I liked seeing what I could create.”

It wasn’t always this way. Sobriety in her 20s, Sue admits, was an angry, isolating thing. She didn’t go out. She didn’t engage. But now, in her 50s, things feel entirely different.

“I’m a happy sober person now, partly because of the woodwork, partly because I can socialise again – confidently.”

Confidence is a recurring theme in Sue’s story. It wasn’t something she started with.

“I’ve only just gained confidence in my mid-50s now… I never had the confidence to say, ‘That’s quite good, that.’”

But recovery gave her the tools. Literally.

“If I’m a bit anxious, I can go into the workshop at whatever time. I release what I’m thinking.”

Recovery, for Sue, wasn’t just abstaining from alcohol. It was connection, creativity, and rebuilding. She found her turning point at Delamere, a rehab centre that encouraged therapy through art, horses, and most importantly – people.

“The staff said, connection is everything. And I didn’t believe it. But now I do.”

Aftercare became another anchor. Most Sundays, she returns – not because she has to, but because it keeps her grounded and inspired.

“Not everyone makes it, but they can see that you can get through it. That’s important.”

What she’s building now is more than products – it’s community.

“I’d always dreamed of selling my work at the local shp on a sunny day. And the other week, I did. I actually lived my dream.”

Her Instagram page, Made by Addyeye – named after her niece’s toddler-age mispronunciation of “Auntie Sue” – is filled with her creations. Off-cuts of oak fused with vibrant skateboard layers, smoothed and shaped into functional art. She’s even started turning wood on a lathe, fascinated by the meditative, swirling process that reminds her of pottery – but suits her even better.

“I never thought I’d be confident from giving up drinking, because I used drink for my confidence. But it’s been the full reverse.”

Sobriety, for Sue, has shifted everything.

“My life’s quite simple. I like it like that, i’ve learned to say no to things. I don’t want to rock that boat.”

And perhaps most importantly, she’s no longer missing the little things.

“The birds in the trees, the flowers, the wood… they’ve always been there. But now I can enjoy them.”

For those just starting out, her advice is simple:

“If you enjoyed something as a kid, give it another go.”

And if you’re wondering whether that first step is worth it—she leaves no doubt:

“I’ve never been this happy sober. Ever.”

You can find Sue’s work here.