We need craft therapy, now more than ever!

For the first time in my 51 years I am suffering from, what I can only assume, is anxiety. I am usually pretty chilled and my glass is almost always half full. Yet, my stomach is in knots, I can’t switch off, my heart is constantly fluttering, I’m frequently feeling overwhelmed, and fight or flight mode is firmly in the ‘on’ position. I’m worried for those who are going to suffer terrible financial hardships over the coming year and for the kids where school is a safe haven and a place where they get most, if not all of their nutrition. Ring any bells? Well of course it does. It is a universal feeling and we are all suffering – to one extent or another – the same emotions. Much of what we take for granted will be out of reach for some time and many of us (myself included) have the added worry of close, immediate family members and friends who are very vulnerable with serious health conditions. We are entering difficult times, in uncharted territory, and need to find our own coping mechanisms to help us navigate the next few months and beyond.
So here’s the thing. We all know how to stay safe but staying sane is another matter. Many of us will be isolated and often lonely over the coming months and crafts, now more than ever, will provide us with much needed respite and allow us to switch off, for a little while at least. For lots of us crafts and the creative community will become our online ‘tribe’ and take on a much more important role. Creativity is so important for our mental health, especially as we hunker down for the long haul.
I had a discussion with a very close friend about how I was feeling and her advice was to keep creating and continue to share it with others, as I have for the last six years. So, to that end, I will continue to add tutorials to YouTube and the blog whenever I can. I may even do a Facebook live if that’s something you might enjoy. It’s also a time to refocus and prioritise and this is just my, very small contribution. If there is any aspect of needle felting you are struggling with, even if it’s the confidence to get started, then just pop over to my Facebook page and message me or pop a question in this FaceBook post. Even if I’m not around (or don’t have the answers), there are lots of knowledgeable and talented crafters on there (some I have been in contact with creatively for a long while) able to share their own creative advice or just give you the boost you need to get going. What you definitely won’t see from me is lots of ‘positive vibes’ quotes. It’s not my bag (I have always found my sense of dark, dry humour to be the best remedy) and it will get very old very quickly, oftentimes diminishing the problems we are facing. Nobody wants a barrage of ‘you got this’ or ‘keep calm and carry on’ when calm is the last thing we are feeling. However, social media really is about to come into its own so let’s bolster and support each other as much as we can and continue to use our creative social media community for the greater good.

YouTube tutorial links are below and kits and supplies available on the Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts website and Etsy but all you need is a handful of wool, a felting needle and a cuppa.
Stay safe and big love
Sandy xxx

This way for craft therapy video tutorials

Est. 2013
© 2013 Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

22 thoughts on “We need craft therapy, now more than ever!

  1. Linda Gibbons

    What a refreshing realistic post. What a lot of us are feeling but afraid to admit.I have learnt so much from your kits and online tutorials. Many thanks and much love to you xxx

      • Rita Powell

        I have just attended my first needle felting class here in Norfolk just before all this blew up. I really appreciate what you are doing for us all at this awful time as I am one of the ones who must stay isolated. So – Thank you very much from the bottom of my hear,t I will be following you when I can (Spring cleaning at present).
        Rita Powell

      • Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

        Hi Rita. Glad you managed to get to a class before everything shut down. We are isolating as well and crafts are a godsend for so many right now. I’ve just added a new video tutorial to YouTube which I hope helps your creative journey.
        Stay safe and at least the house will be gleaming by the time this is all over. 🤗💞

      • dianenorrie1962

        I have just started needle felting and am loving it ! I am normally a jewellery maker so I am hoping to stitch some tiny Beads onto my pictures for details. I enjoyed your blog and look forward to the next one . Diane
        Jewel Identity Ltd

  2. Rita Powell

    Thank you sooooo much for thinking of us. I have just joined a felting group here in Norfolk but now we are self isolating you are a Godsend to us all. I can’t say enough “thank you’s” for this. God Bless you Rita Powell

  3. Eliz

    We must all keep calm & create. At least we won’t be bored!. Sending a big hug to everyone, whether u feel anxious or at risk or neither. ❤️👍😀xx

  4. Morag Scott

    Thank you for thinking about us who have to be isolated soon for goodness know how long. Felting is something I would love to be able to do so every cloud’ as they say! I need a starter kit, can I order from you? So kind of you. Mo x

  5. Catherine

    Thank you – I have loved you tutorials and while I have discovered needle felting is not my first love I have created, teddy bears, rabbits etc from your patterns and tutorials for the younger folk. I love craft of all kinds and watching you create something from a piece of wool is just so amazing. Prayers to all and hope everyone stays safe.

  6. Lucy, Kent ~ England

    Thank You, at 63 and already pretty well self isolated I don’t see anyone Thurs 4pm – Weds 10am due to health issues and the physical difficulties of getting my wheelchair out of my home the thought of further isolation is a source of great anxiety.
    My mailbox is filling with emails advicing me of changes to “on-line deliveries, the reduced number of slots and having deliveries left at my front door with telephone communication.”
    It makes me think of the “Great Plague” somethink I studied as a history student but never expected to live through.
    Being one of the people on the list as more vulnerable and having no family since the death a year ago of my 2nd husband and only relative. The “virus” worries me less than the state of the world and society.
    I appreciate your “down to earth” philosophy and your help in crafting. I hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.

    • Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

      Hi Lucy. These are indeed troubled times and I hope you have everything you need to see you through this difficult period. It’s probably the first time we can all, genuinely say ‘we’re in this together’ but I know from my own experience with close family members, how hard it is to manage disability and reduced mobility. Blessings and stay safe xx

  7. Davena Ma

    Bless you, dear heart! You have always been my favourite felter, and I so appreciate your generosity with your skills. So sorry for your anxiety symptoms! We will get through this. Breathe … and felt!

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