Mindfulness and Crafting

Many different parts of our brain are engaged when we craft – our focus, memory, problem solving, and information processing centers to name a few. Crafting is more than just a fun hobby; just a few minutes a day can contribute to your overall health and wellbeing.

If you’ve had trouble starting a meditation practice, you might find coloring or learning to knit a good alternative. The rhythm of crafting can help you achieve a relaxed state similar to meditation, with like benefits.

 Drawing promotes mindfulness and relaxation, while developing your concentration skills. Research shows that simply doodling can improve focus and memory retention. It’s also an easy way to explore your creativity – you just need pen and paper!

Whether you simply love to doodle, or want to build drawing techniques and skill, getting started is easy. Beginners can start with our Daily Drawing Challenge: 31 Things to Draw with artist Lisa Congdon. Or, get fresh ideas for doodling with our Creative Doodling series with Pam Garrison.

Sometimes it can be hard build the kind of self esteem that we need to keep going throughout the day and feel good about our potential. Working on small crafting projects and letting ourselves embrace the both the process and the finishing products can help help us unravel our capabilities.  

Give yourself the time to embark on a crafting project that you didn’t think you could do and let others and yourself marvel at the final product. Create something that you can look at in the comfort of your home and let it empower you it it reminds you of the journey through its creation.