Want to create something life-changing? Our advice is group together
Everything’s better when you share, so they say. Whether it’s a kind word of encouragement, advice on a project or just a hug, we’re all better off with the support of buddies – and that goes double for creative partnerships that flourish as our talents bring us into contact with other crafting souls. Some of the world’s most inventive artists, from Gauguin and Van Gogh to Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, have enriched their potential through bonding with fellow visionaries.
Sharing our skills and passions with others is a valuable exercise in self-development as well as social bonding; it can also be a healing process, helping people overcome loneliness, insecurity and anxiety. If you’re a friend in need with a creative urge to satisfy, a crafting workshop or club could be just what the doctor ordered, inspiring you to greater heights and enriching your life in ways you never expected. So sign up, take a chance, and celebrate the start of a beautiful friendship.
Club together
For many crafters looking to make something meaningful, the potential isolation of the process can be scary. Crafting clubs represent a vital alchemy; a special exchange of ideas and a nurturing environment to help people break past their fears. The desire to touch base with like-minded creatives is as much about sharing an experience as it is the craft itself.
“As well as social benefits, craft clubs offer the opportunity to try many different techniques and subject areas without the worry of an expensive outlay, says Editor of Craft Beautiful Magazine. It’s worth doing a little research to decide what you fancy trying out: an art class or a card making workshop in the run-up to Christmas. It’s easy to get inspired by the many craft tutorials online, and it will give you the confidence to try out something new at your next crafting session with friends.”
Deciding on the right club for you is a personal choice. Some may opt for the low-key dynamic of a pen pal scheme, while others are drawn to more larger, formalised frameworks, such as the Women’s Institute (WI), to help give them a creative push. What these groups share is a desire to foster a positive environment with common interests. This creates a fertile ground for developing relationships and, in turn, makes us more receptive to learning.
Healing hands
Key to the crafting friendship is the therapeutic nature of the bond – that potential to make lives better emotionally, as well as creatively, is massive and alleviates all manner of stresses from the mundane to the existential. For many crafters, the act of meeting in a creative way can truly heal, allowing them to forget about their aches, pains and worries for a while.
Alongside the healing aspects of crafting bonds are opportunities for helping others through charitable collaborations, from making bags for local hospitals to friendship quilts for injured servicemen – creating something together is a tangible way to share support where it is needed most. Above all, these groups reinvigorate, as reaching out to others can help us be more mindful, as well as proactive. It’s about the process as well as the result – hours can pass while you’re with your crafting buddies, then you’ll look up to find the world hasn’t ended, and you’ll feel ready to take on anything!
For free project tutorials and downloads go to crafts-beautiful.com
