(Nimue)
Creativity is very much part of the Druid path. You can bring inspiration to anything you do. Crafting has a lot to offer in many different ways. It can often be a green choice, especially if there is a re-use or upcycling element to what you do. Crafting can help keep things out of landfill and reduce your need for things made in less sustainable ways. It's easy to make this a low-carbon, sustainable activity that you can feel good about doing.
The rhythms of crafting can be really soothing. Doing something repetitive can calm you. Simple, repetitive things can be good distractions if you feel overwhelmed or don't have much brain power. If you need more distraction and engagement you can pick something more complex to do.
Working with soft, warm things, comforting colours, pleasing textures etc is a good way of comforting yourself. I like making blankets for this reason. Making things that will comfort you after they're finished is also good - quilts, socks, scarves, decorations, or other practical things that you need. Taking a household item and making it pretty can provide comfort beyond the crafting process too.
Making things is reassuring. It's a way of reminding yourself of your own power and ability to change things. Making something pretty or useful is a small way of changing the world for the better. Mental illness can often make you feel powerless and useless, craft can help you overcome that.
It's good to do things just for the joy of it. Making something for yourself because you want to is a wonderful act of self care. It's time spent doing something that isn't focused on money, or being useful to other people. Although if you enjoy making gifts for other people, that's good too. The important thing is to be creative in a way that makes you happy.
You don't have to be good. You don't have to be creating things that you could sell. It's really important to give yourself permission to do things that appeal to you, and not to be instantly brilliant at it. If you are going to be brilliant, it will be through learning and doing. The pressure to be instantly able to do things is the enemy of joy, and cuts too many of us off from having fun. Play with things, explore, take risks and don't worry about what happens. Enjoy the experience. This can be a really restorative thing to do, and if you can learn how to cheerfully make a mess, that can be a great antidote to stress and anxiety.
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