Notice: Crafting with your two hands to drop into zen


Our pair of human hands just might be the only other part of the body that is just as important as the brain. Hand dexterity is what distinguishes us from all other animal species, so it’s no surprise that we are innately drawn towards handmade projects and art. It’s well known that fidgeting with our hands can increase neurotransmitters to help us focus, and this module is about appreciating handiwork as a method to prescribe your own future creative endeavors.

1. HANDIWORK THAT I AM DRAWN TO: (check all that you like)

  • Clothing that has been handmade or sewn
  • Knitted or crocheted items
  • Clay pottery and dinnerware
  • Sculptures
  • Decorative desserts
  • Wooden furniture
  • Stained glass windows
  • Intricately carved boxes
  • Welded, metallic artwork
  • Delicate doilies
  • Elegant calligraphy
  • Lush floral arrangements
  • Other

2. THINK OF GRADE SCHOOL PROJECTS YOU MADE AS A CHILD THAT WERE FUN

  • Building complex Lego structures
  • Making clay creations in school
  • Drawing pictures with crayons or colored pencils
  • Assembling macaroni necklaces
  • Cutting and pasting colorful collages
  • Finger painting on a large paper or window Pressing wildflowers between books
  • Baking in an Easy Bake Oven
  • Weaving yarn tapestries
  • Planting seeds in the garden
  • Bending pipe cleaners to make animals
  • Melting crayons on wax paper
  • Sewing simple pieces of fabric together to make
  • Tying colorful threads to make Friendship Bracelets
  • Outlining comic art onto tracing paper
  • Whittling a bar of soap into an art piece
  • Making a puzzle for someone else to put together
  • Pounding nails into a wooden birdhouse

3. CHECK THE BOXES THAT EXPLAIN WHY YOU ENJOYED THE CHILDHOOD CRAFT PROJECTS:

I LIKED:

  • Seeing the finished project in all its detailed glory!
  • Feeling my hands get dirty
  • Smelling the paint or glue
  • Molding or bending the medium into a specific shape
  • Wearing my final art creation
  • Hearing praise for my art
  • Working on the project with my friends
  • Tying knots and weaving
  • Following instructions to make a beautiful piece
  • Putting my own imagination to use without any instructions
  • That my final project was useful and had purpose
  • That my final project looked pretty and colorful
  • Watching my creative project take time to finish/evolve/grow
  • Using heavy tools to make my project
  • Taking up lots of space for my project
  • Giving my art to someone I love


Now, look back on all your checked boxes. Are there similarities? Perhaps you enjoy some guidance with your creativity? Or maybe you prefer to be left alone as you let your imagination play. Maybe you like the instant gratification of a job well done....or perhaps you prefer watching the paint dry or flower grow?

Any time you are using your hands in meaningful ways, you are stimulating the largest portions of the somatosensory and motor cortex of the brain. Using your hands to make things is a way of exercising your brain.



There’s no right or wrong, but we are ALL creative. By taking inventory of your childhood art preferences, you are recalling a time when you were without inhibition, self-judgment, or resistance. Now that you’re aware of your unique preferences, you’ll be more in tune to future opportunities to explore them.

Check your local listings for group art classes, individual private lessons, and workshops. Big box stores like “Home Depot” and “Michael’s” often have seminars to teach new skills. You never know what new hobby can be resurrected from your innate love for creativity, but we do know that using your own two hands leads to a happier, healthier life!








Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24065933
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00477479W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
https://www.scrapbook.com/articles/crafting-makes-you-healthier-and-happier

Complete and Continue