I’ve never been particularly good at introductions or talking about myself at all really, but given my interests in mental health and crafting, I wanted to make a few things clear. 

Who am I to be writing about mental health?

I am a 40-something female, who has been living with depression and anxiety for at least the last decade. I say “at least”, because, like many people living with a mental health problem,  it’s clear (to me) that there were issues long before diagnosis. 

In the last few years, I’ve felt a massive increase in anxiety and have been managing the best I can. However, I’ve been relying a lot on my friends and family as a way to obsess over discuss my anxiety, and it’s time to give them a break.

Some other things to know about me that may inform my writing or help us to become friends:

• I do a variety of things for my mental health, but chief among them is therapy and medication. I recognize that these are not options for everyone, whether by circumstance or by choice, and as I am not a medical professional (please see the next section). I have no plans to post anything promoting or specifically related to these topics. 

• I have a chronic pain condition – not as bad as many people, but it’s there, and it’s real. If you have one, I believe yours is real too.

• Several of my friends and members of my family also deal with mental illness.

• I am single and living alone. I’m introverted, so I’m generally pleased with this, but everyone has their moments.

• I have had my fair share of toxic workplaces, imposter syndrome, and hypervigilance when it comes to my job/workload. In large part, this blog is a way for me to sort of reclaim my mental health, and to connect with other people who might find themselves in the same type of situation. My workplace anxiety is long-term, still very real and very active at the moment.

The Obligatory Medical Disclaimer:

Please read the next several lines carefully.

I am not a doctor, a therapist, or any type of medical professional. Given that information, nothing I say on this blog should be taken as medical advice. Whenever possible, I will be framing my writing as things I do personally for my own mental health, or interesting/educational material gathered from references. 

Nor am I any type of wellness/life coach. No one should use me as any sort of model. I do not have my shit together lol.

Who am I to be calling myself a writer?

I’m not. Not really. And it gives me a nice flash of anxiety to try to answer this question, so I’ll just move along.

Why crafting and mental health?

There are a lot of crafters out there with really beautiful knitting blogs and perfect photography. Some of those crafters come up with the most stunning patterns and show off their beautiful, expensive hand-dyed yarn, and their finished projects.  But all of that feels very out of reach for me.

I am not one of those crafters. More often than not, my supplies are a disaster, my home is more akin to a toxic waste dump. I don’t create patterns or take commissions or have any plans to make money off of the things I make. Primarily because I rarely finish anything.

The not finishing used to get to me. 

Everyone wants to show off the pretty things they make.

But after a long, long time of feeling terrible about it, like I had no follow-through, I figured it out. 

I find myself to be more of a “process” crafter. I thrive when I’m learning new skills, or figuring out how things work, and working my hands and brain. It helps keep the anxiety at bay. 

I also get extremely bored if I have to make the same thing multiple times. For instance, I love knitting socks, but I have probably thirty single, unmatched socks floating around my apartment because I don’t have the patience to knit the same pattern a second time.

And the thing is? 

That’s okay. 

I’m not pushing products out on Etsy. I’m knitting for myself. 

I’m doing it because it loosens up my joints and keeps my hands and my brain strong. And if I stick it out, I come out with something handmade and pretty and made magically of string. If I don’t, I still take away the experience and the knowledge that I can make something, even if I don’t feel the drive to.

What kinds of crafts do I do?

I’m primarily a knitter due to the portability of the craft, but I also can crochet, cross stitch, embroider, and sew (badly). Just to give a few examples, I’ve blown glass, spun yarn, and carded wool, have taken watercolor, pastel, drawing, and photography classes. And I love to chit-chat about it all when the mood strikes me.

Long story short, I dabble in a little bit of everything, and will try anything new. Someone gave me their husband’s once-used oil painting supplies, and now I’m fascinated by how painters make values work and “fat over lean” and want to learn academic/classical art. I have a small forest of house plants and want to be able to “art” them. It’s going as well as one might expect. 

I’ve tried a few of what I call “digital crafts” like image and video editing, graphic design, and coding. I took to coding the best, but even then, I really enjoy the feeling of supplies in my hands. It’s like I need that sensory experience to enjoy myself. 

Anyway, I’m looking forward to using this blog as a motivator to create more both online and offline, and hope to find more people who enjoy making things with their hands.

*note – still working out formatting/themes, I apologize if it’s hard to read or ugly at the moment