Why is Crafting Good for our Mental Health?
So, we know that crafting is a popular past time, that’s a given. Who doesn’t enjoy a regular couple of hours sitting there doing something that takes us away from our day to day itinerary and grind? It’s definitely fun, especially when we do it with friends.
Over the last few years there’s been a massive surge in people taking up creative hobbies to give them a feeling of wellbeing, connectedness and accomplishment. During lockdown a well known retailer of arts and craft materials reported an increase of 200% in online sales of equipment. We all wanted to keep busy, relax, take our minds of of the news and generally spend time doing the hobbies we never had time for, pre lockdown.
Since 2020 the demographic profile of people engaging with the arts has evolved and has really given a new audience a taste of all the benefits a creative hobby can bring. Long gone are the days where you needed to find an elderly relative or join the local W.I. to show you the ropes of a new craft. You can now attend zoom classes at a touch of a button along with hundreds of other crafters. You can find ‘how to’ videos on YouTube and enrole in many online courses all over the internet. There’s also loads of TV channels dedicated to arts and crafts, something that just wouldn’t have existed a generation ago.
But why is it so appealing?
“First and foremost, crafting or any artistic pursuit is fun. ”
We experience a certain freedom when we get creative, letting go and releasing our inner child. When we are young we are constantly flexing our creative muscles. As we get older we may grow out of finger painting and potato prints and creative hobbies get forgotten about for alot of us.
The physical benefits are well documented. From working and improving our fine motorskills, to helping us sleep. Mentally, it gives us the chance to switch off. To relax and enjoy some mindfulness. Some very repetitive crafts can actually work the same as meditation. Life is busy for most adults, so taking time out to enjoy something creative can be seen as a bit of a luxury, but it’s benefits on wellbeing are really important. As an art tutor running workshops for mindfulness, I can sometimes see attendees relax during the session.
“Dopamine makes us feel good, endorphins and oxytocin promotes happiness and pleasure”
Its not only excercise that releases the ‘happy hormones’ but doing anything you enjoy raises the levels of sera- tonin in the body. Dopamine which makes us feel good, endorphins and oxytocin promotes happiness and pleasure, and this is also released when we undertake creative hobbies and have fun. If we attend art or craft classes with others, we also get the added benefit of social interaction, connectedness and bonding.
So next time you feel like trying something new and you don’t feel like joining the gym or the local running club, give craft a try instead, you might be surprised at the results.
Stacey Young
Paper Artist | Workshop Facilitator @meetthemoondesigns
Stacey Young is a paper-cutting artist, who lives in Buckinghamshire. She started Meet the Moon Designs in 2016. Meet the Moon runs local workshops, and parties promoting well being and mindfulness through craft. Stacey also has an online shop selling DIY kits and templates to create your own paper-cuts.