Creativity comes in so many different forms, and some stand out for us in how they lift mood and wellbeing. Art, drawing and painting, have to come first for me, but I have come to enjoy craft as well. I’m newer to craft, so I enjoy the variety and the stimulus, experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t.
Craft is mindful and helpful for wellbeing in two distinct ways, that might seem very different to each other. It demands your full concentration, as you focus on what stitches you’re using or on how you fold or cut or carve or model. That helps wellbeing because it eases overthinking, drives issues out of your mind, opens up some time and space away where it’s the crafting itself that matters. But craft can also – and equally – be helpful because it is repetitive as an activity, where once you get started you go with the flow – knitting, sewing or weaving in particular. Familiar and repetitive activity that allows your mind to wander – whether to daydream and think of nothing in particular, or to mull over and think through issues or concerns as you stitch or knit. Craft’s possible impact on wellbeing is all the greater for having these two different strands, which balance each other. Sometimes one will help, sometimes the other. Or you might feel able to concentrate only for a little time, so focus on getting some stitching underway, then settle into a pattern and let your mind relax.
The more I work in arts for wellbeing, the more I see that, for all the many people who love drawing and painting, there are also many who see drawing in particular as a hurdle. They feel they can’t draw, and this stops them trying art. Craft is another way to be creative, with no drawing needed! But craft itself can feel daunting. It can be fiddly and messy, and you might think you need a lot of materials and equipment. I think this deterred me from trying more craft earlier. Now I try to simplify wherever possible, and upcycle everyday items like old fabric I might have.
All creativity is satisfying and productive, and craft can be all the more so because many of the items can be of practical use. You might sew or knit clothes to wear or toys to play with or make bags or jewellery, so it might feel more purposeful.
I also like craft ideas that don’t take too long, as some crafting can be time-consuming. I enjoy doing some art or craft every day if I can, so I’m more likely to fit quicker ideas into my life.
So far all the wellbeing challenges I’ve led have focused on art. But this autumn I’ve decided to combine art with craft for my new challenge 30 Days Of Creativity: A Wellbeing Challenge For September. Art and craft ideas will alternate through the month. People will take part from home in their own time – each day they will receive by email an art or craft idea with an example image as a guide, and there’ll be an optional private Facebook group for sharing. To sign up go to
Medley 