Crafts Good for Mental Health
May 19, 2009 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Home & Living
Many crafters, quilters and fabric artists find their activities good for their mental health and alleviating depression. Perhaps you’re going through a stressful time in your life. Why not concentrate on your creative activities?
Image:sxc.hu
In addition to giving you something to concentrate on when your thoughts could delve into darkness, crafts and related arts may bring you together with others in your field. This helps you find new directions and boost your spirits.
I’ve found working with my hands a great diversion over the years. The actual task of quilting, scrapbooking, crocheting and other crafts is relaxing. Often you can take your work with you.
My daughter began her serious venture into quiltmaking when her husband was seriously ill. The small hand projects were easy to tote along to hospitals and waiting rooms.
If you can begin to earn income through your crafts to help with the family budget during times of budget crunches, this also helps alleviate the stress of life.
How have arts and crafts helped you through tough times?
Multiple Sclerosis at age 50! I have always “been crafty” but I started getting serious about mixed media art. I am adding beading, etc, and want to always carry a sketchbook with me for when an IDEA hits.
I do have problems with my left hand, which makes some things harder to do and causes pain from overuse, but it doesnt stop me from trying new things.
Crafting and Art have keep me sane…
Thanks, Debe, for sharing with us your experiences with mixed media art as you struggle with multiple sclerosis. I’d imagine your crafting also keeps your hands more agile, even though you do have some pain.
My daughter, who found quilting a stress reliever during her husband’s illness, experienced a serious illness herself last year. As she recovered, but still was weak, she found inspiration through her quilt art and her quilting friends.
There is a new blog out there, http://www.craftforhealth.typepad.com/ which focuses on this very idea. It’s exciting to me since I was a life coach for a number of years and had planned to start a group using digital collaging to work on client issues. Never had the chance because my life went in a different direction, but my daughter and partner is an art therapist so working together to incorporate art and craft into healing comes naturally to both of us.