How making things makes me feel better

Homemade aprons in the wild

I started making things at a very young age. I made clothes for my dolls and bits and pieces for my Sylvanians. I was quiet and shy and expressed myself through music and creative crafts.

In my first career as a Primary School Teacher I channelled my creativity into making beautiful displays of children’s work and for them to use. I wanted my classroom to look inviting and interesting.

In my spare time, I used my trusty Bernina Activa 140 sewing machine, bought in 1998 for my 17th birthday, to make dresses, curtains, cushions, bags and more. I honed my craft and spent hours improving my technique.

Time has always disappeared when I sew. I focus completely on the task to the exclusion of other distractions. My mind is taken up with what the next step will be and I don’t think about any problems or worries.

The calming effect of making things has been extremely therapeutic to me during hard times. The creative act of producing something new that is useful and beautiful makes me feel better and improves my confidence. I feel a sense of achievement and loss when I finish a project but always have the next one (or four) projects circulating in mind. It is a never-finishing cycle.

I encourage everyone to find something creative that engages your mind and fingers completely. It could be knitting, paper craft, gardening, music - anything that you can create for yourself. Then learn all you can about it and how to do it and enjoy the process of making things to make you feel better.