Crafting a Way to Wellness is a newsletter that appears every fortnight from January 2022.
Recent studies like that by Conner, DeYoung, and Silvia (2018) – not to mention personal observations by many – have shown that creative pursuits, like needle arts, painting, drawing, baking, etc. can be used successfully to counteract stress and anxiety. Over the course of the pandemic many people around the world have also taken up new hobbies or rediscovered old hobbies.
These hobbies, be it knitting, crocheting, paper crafting, writing or woodworking, have not only given an outlet to people’s frustrations and fears about the changed and changing world, but, in many cases, have also served as a kind of grounding exercise.
The therapeutic use of arts and crafts are not a 21st century invention, of course, but it does seem that the scientific study of the positive part which this type of therapy can play in a number of mental, physical, and chronic illnesses are gaining traction.
In my own life I have used painting and drawing, paper crafts, needle arts, and writing while convalescing from injury or to help me cope with the ups and downs that mental and chronic illness have thrown at me. I also have multiple friends, who are also crafters or artists, who swear by their crafts as a way to lessen the symptoms of mental illness and to cope with various chronic illnesses.
It is in light of this that I’ve decided to start this newsletter.
What you can expect in the newsletter
How arts and crafts can help individuals cope with certain challenges, including mental health and chronic illness. I will also be documenting my own journey with mental health and chronic illness, showing the part that crafts and art have played in my life.
Wellness, mindfulness, mental health, and chronic illness studies/findings about the use of craft/art therapy and the like. However, this will not be a medical site or a site offering medical advice. Please, if you need help, contact your local health services or crisis line.
Arts and crafts news and various tutorials on starting and doing different crafts.
Interviews with other crafters/artists.
About me
I’m a copywriter and translator by day and a genre fiction writer (mostly fantasy) by night. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2012, and also have some other chronic illness and pain that I deal with. Writing, art, and crafting have been a constant for me since childhood.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
