Arts and Crafts.

I believe I have mentioned before that I love doing crafts. My 'expertise' lie with jewellery making and the other day I sat down and before I knew it I had made 10 pairs of earrings.

For me, doing crafts is simply a hobby to do in my spare time. For others it is a release from the stress of everyday life, and for some it's a way of making a living. 

There are also many people out there who do arts and crafts as a therapy. And for a lot of people, this kind of therapy is because they have been suffering with a disability that has rendered them unable to work. 

If you are suffering with a disability and it gets to the point where you are unable to work or have a complete social life, it does get you down. I have been speaking to a lot of people who use arts a crafts as a way out of this, or as a way to still earn a living.

Sian Cowley, from Rock Ferry has a physical condition called E.D.S (Ehlers Danlos) Complex Rare Condition that affects the heart, other organs, blood and the bones. "I'm in a wheelchair as I can no longer walk and also suffer from severe depression, personality disorder and used to self harm," she says. 

"I got referred to art therapy where I learnt I could show how I felt through paintings or drawings. Crafts such as sewing and card making helped to distract me from my thoughts and block out the pain. it keeps me sane and busy and it gives me an outlet to put my feelings into. 

The photo on the right is a pastel drawing of a person lying in the fetal position. "I chose to draw with pastel because at the time I felt like I blended into the background," explains Sian. 

"Since starting art therapy I haven't had a hospital admission for mental health. Craft blocks the pain, it has saved me many times and there's not a lot I can do in my wheelchair, but I can do craft and it makes me feel useful."


For Vicky Haigh, from Rotheram, it acted as a distraction; "I started knitting a few years ago while suffering from bulimia, I knitted after every meal and it helped me towards recovery as it distracted me and gave me something positive to work towards," she says.

"I simply saw on Facebook that a friend of mine was knitting a scarf; she said she didn't realise how long the scarf took her but that it took a long time. I decided to teach myself by You-tubing the steps, and before I knew it I had spent 2 hours knitting...it's very calming and fulfilling." 

Art/craft therapy is an outlet for people to express complex and confusing emotions that they might not feel as though they can do verbally.

I researched into Art Therapy and looked into careers and sessions in my area, I think it's something that could be pushed further to really help more people with what they are going through. 

It's got me wanting to hold little crafting sessions in my living room, not in a professional way, but people can come and unwind, it all helps :)