Is crafting a privilege?
A few months ago I worked with West Mercia Women’s Aid, delivering craft sessions across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The sessions supported their team, as well as the women in their care. In the sessions we used embroidery techniques to make superpower badges, and embroidery hoops, with stitched messages of empowerment.
During a particular session, I was bowled over by the talent that some of these women showed. Conversation started flowing, and we spoke about the creative hobbies that we used to do as children, and how, as we’ve gotten older, we stop making the time to be creative.
I totally get it - before I founded The Mindful Craft Company, I found it incredibly difficult to make the time - balancing a full time job, with a busy social life…oh to be in my 20’s again! But I was lucky that I had a creative job that allowed me to express myself. Now, in my 30’s and 2 kids later, that time is squeezed even more. But now I know that creativity is one thing that can seriously improve my mood, and my mental health. I can ‘feel’ when I need to get lost in something creative and ‘switch off’ - just like going out for a run, it’s like a reset button that only creativity can give me.
During my conversations with the women in the session, some of them shared their artwork that they had created at home - one lady in particular, was incredible at oil painting. She explained how because of the current situation in her life, she simply can’t access the materials. She doesn’t have time. It’s simply not a priority. It got me thinking about all those wonderful creative talents out there, that lie in all of us, that don’t get used, or expressed to their full potential.
In the grand scheme of things, an oil painting probably isn’t that important. But it’s what it gives us. So many of us won’t be able to experience different levels of creativity because of opportunity - the cost of materials can be high, arts funding at school is reducing, so unless you have a creative influence at home, are you really going to explore what creativity means to you? Some crafts (like oil painting for example) take up a lot of room, and a lot of mess. The reality is that most of us just don’t have the space (or time) to set that up in our homes.
And so I got thinking about the relationship between creativity and privilege - something I’d never even considered until this day. The reality is that children who come from poorer backgrounds, often do not have the same access to creativity at a younger age - from buying materials, or attending arts or creative activities, such as trips to museums.
It’s so important for our future generation to understand creativity, and be allowed to explore what creativity means to them - these are going to be the people shaping the world in years to come, and they need to think differently and problem solve effectively.
Thankfully, businesses are recognising that they can support the wellbeing of their people, through a variety of activities, not just creativity. At The Mindful Craft Company we work with teams to explore topics including habits, purpose, values and culture, through creativity. It’s wonderful to watch people that haven’t picked up a paintbrush since school, and watch them explore - usually tentatively to begin with, but by the end of the session we’re usually met with ‘wow, I love this - I want to start painting again!’. It’s an escape from the everyday stress of life, and equips people with another tool they can use to support their mental health and wellbeing.
