{"id":34852,"date":"2015-11-19T18:56:18","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T23:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lionbrand.com/community/blog\/?p=34852"},"modified":"2021-10-23T23:43:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-24T03:43:29","slug":"how-craft-as-therapy-grew-into-a-thriving-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lionbrand.com/community/blog\/how-craft-as-therapy-grew-into-a-thriving-community\/","title":{"rendered":"How “Craft As Therapy” Grew Into a Thriving Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blogger<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>author<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Kathryn Vercillo is an expert in the area of using crafting to heal, having researched the topic extensively for her book <\/em>Crochet Saved My Life<\/em><\/a>. In this post she introduces us to the Craft As Therapy community on Instagram, which is a daily visual celebration of the healing capacities of crafting. Read Kathryn\u2019s\u00a0previous blog posts on the Lion Brand Notebook <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Mandy of the RedAgape Style & Design<\/strong> blog started using the hashtag #craftastherapy on her own Instagram account, it was just a personal thing. She had always loved crafting but after her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and the diagnosis worsened Mandy\u2019s own illness, she realized just how important crafting was for her health. She began to intentionally turn to crafting as a way to distract herself from the anxiety of this period, and she began to tag her photos accordingly.<\/p>\n

#CraftAsTherapy<\/strong><\/p>\n

People immediately took notice. Others started using the hashtag widely. Mandy says, \u201cIt became apparent to me how important craft is as a form of therapy, not just for me, but for many other crafters. Many have shared their stories about why they <\/em>craft for therapy<\/em><\/a>. Some are suffering with mental illness, infertility issues, chronic illness, physical illness \u2026 and some craft simply because it is cheaper than (traditional) therapy and keeps them smiling<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy was surprised by how much people loved this hashtag, although looking back she says she\u2019s surprised that she was so surprised. She says, \u201cI\u2019m not sure why I thought I was the only one. I mean; there is a reason that coloring books for adults are so popular right now. Everyone is looking for some time out for their minds and crafting is perfect.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How Craft Heals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mandy shares a little bit more with us about why she started looking at craft as therapy, when she says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that crafting can have a significant impact on our stress levels. We all live intensely busy lives and our stress lives are at a heightened state more often than not. I have a chronic illness that flares with stress, and when my mother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer my illness and anxiety flare out of control. I didn\u2019t actively or consciously pursue craft as a form of therapy, but it was a natural reaction for me to immerse myself in craft projects to distract myself from the stresses of life.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Asked what types of projects she found therapeutic<\/a>, Mandy says:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>My focus was on projects that required enough skill so that I had to concentrate, which allowed me to forget about the world around me. But I balanced that with choosing projects that weren\u2019t so difficult they would induce frustration. Repetitive projects were also relaxing. My first #craftastherapy project was a paper flower wreath.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Mandy is doing well now, but that doesn\u2019t mean she\u2019s stopped crafting. She shares:<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m really healthy and enjoying life, so I\u2019m just using crafting to help me stay happy and relaxed. There\u2019s nothing better for your confidence than finishing a project that you\u2019ve made with your own hands.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Craft As Therapy Moderators<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recognizing that so many other people were celebrating Craft As Therapy, and that they had picked up the use of her #craftastherapy tag, Mandy created a new Instagram handle with the same name. In part, she did this because she felt like she couldn\u2019t keep up with the #craftastherapy tag on her own. She didn\u2019t want anyone to feel like they didn\u2019t get attention when they used the tag, and she adds, \u201cI felt like the #craftastherapy tag should belong to everyone!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy invited a group of moderators to come on board and take turns working together on the new @CraftAsTherapy account<\/a>. Each moderator works for a week at a time; you can see who the current moderator is by checking the tagline on the CraftAsTherapy feed, which reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cCrafters Unite. Does craft make you happy? Relieve stress? Distract you from illness?\u201d #craftastherapy\u201d. Followed by the name of the current moderator.<\/p>\n

The moderators, which include maRRose<\/a> and Little Cosy Things, cycle through their turns, and each one does the following things:<\/p>\n