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From Creativity and Crafting to Healing

Regardless of where you are in your life, using creativity and crafting to heal is a vital element to enhancing your overall wellbeing, especially in current times as stressors are widespread and circulating.

There is an abundance of evidence that shows the relationship between creativity and crafting, linked to improved mental health. Researchers find that crafting can support those living with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Additionally, it can relieve stress, increase happiness, and protect your brain. In general, creatively working with your hands has been correlated to more positive feelings. This can definitely apply to people who knit; one study of thousands of knitters found that over 80% of respondents living with depression felt reportedly happy after knitting, and over half reported feeling “very happy”. Crafting has helped in the treatment of PTSD as well as dementia. Using both hands to craft can also help rebuild brain plasticity as a result.abstract person hugging heart representing creativity and crafting to healing

Here are just a few of the ways that you can go from creativity and crafting to healing.

Knitting

Knitting has a “repetitive rhythm” that can be both calming and soothing. Seeing the rows continue to grow, layer, and repeat in pattern can help heal people’s pain. There is also an incredible sensation to being able to relax while simultaneously feeling creative and productive.

Pottery

The physical and tangible experience of pottery can inherently be meditative and can lead to a deep sense of relaxation. Pottery has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, regulate breathing, and decrease stress levels, as your mind and body are encompassed in a realm of artistry. All of your focus goes to the clay: shaping, molding, and spinning it. Pottery can lead you to a sense of mastery and self-confidence, as you grow your personal creative style and develop your technical abilities.

Cross-stitch

Cross-stitch is a way to find calm, focus, and community. It is also very effective in reducing stress, similar to many of the aforementioned crafting activities. Even just taking a few minutes every day to cross-stitch can help you find calm. It helps you redirect your energy to creating a beautiful result.

Crocheting

Crocheting can be seen as a form of self-care. For many people, it helps to prevent, minimize, and/or manage symptoms of depression. Similar to knitting, its repetitive and fluid motion is deeply soothing. This helps with relaxation and relieving stress. Crocheting can also be a device toward generosity – for example, if you gift your final created product to a loved one – and this leads to boosting your self-esteem.

From Creativity and Crafting to Healing

Trying out any of these creative hands-on methods – or similar ones that interest you, such as scrapbooking or baking – may lead to significant health or recovery person making pottery is going from creativity and crafting to healingbenefits that you have yet to realize. Even when it may seem like there is “no time,” it is worth making the time for these crafting activities whenever possible, as they will end up adding positive benefits to many aspects of your life in the long-run, if done relatively consistently. Of course, as always, these activities may not work in healing everyone, and each individual is in their own place in their journeys. Therefore, if you are having a difficult time, please do not hesitate to reach out to professional help, and get the help that you need and deserve.

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