The Power of Craft
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
- Maya Angelou
People gazing up at, admiring and photographing the beautiful and heartfelt Toronto Love Project quilted banners (above left) gently swaying from the rafters of the North York Centre, provide tangible evidence of the healing power of craft. In the wake of the April 23, 2018 van attacks, Toronto quilter Berene Campbell invited quilters worldwide to make long colourful banners stitched with messages of hope, peace and love. Quilters responded from as far away as Australia, Texas, Oregon, and Vancouver, "to give the community a boost," and their handmade banners will be transmitting their messages of comfort in the North York Centre until September 8, 2018. Also at the North York Centre, at the west end, hang more lovely handstitched banners (above right) by the members of the North York Arts' Legacy Collective. The Legacy Collective is a North York-based senior engagement initiative, made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds and language. The doves on the Legacy Collective's banners symbolize those who died, and the butterflies represent those who were injured.
There are many opportunities at Toronto Public Library to discover for yourself the power of craft, and that "Working with your hands is good for your soul." At the newly-reopened North York Central Library, Toronto Public Library's first Fabrication Studio is a unique creation and learning space which offers classes and sewing, serger and embroidery machines to create textile projects, and a vinyl cutter for artistic projects. There are also several craft programs for adults, teens and children offered at many of Toronto Public Library's branches.
When I mend something, I find it fascinating to figure out how someone else made an object, and then to try and replicate their technique. Mending really is a specialized kind of craft which thriftily keeps items both useful and out of landfill, and you can bring your broken items to a Repair Café at College/Shaw Library on September 15 or at Fairview Library on September 29. If you are looking for something new to make, and enjoy browsing through craft magazines for ideas as much as I do, RBdigital has many titles to provide inspiration for your next craft project. You and your family can also see firsthand how people have crafted through the ages, and at the same time explore Toronto's museums and cultural attractions, for free with a Sun Life Financial Museum + Arts Pass.
I was interested to read that scientific studies have shown that there is a neurological basis for how hobbies and activities relate to health and well-being. Engaging in such activities as arts and crafts stimulates the mind, reduces the effects of stress-related diseases and slows cognitive decline. There is a great connection between creating with your hands and calming the mind. As a worried-looking customer once said to me when she was looking for crochet books, "Crocheting keeps my mind off things."
Craft can also have a strong persuasive power for making a difference for change in the world. Cleve Jones conceived and created a unique healing vision – The AIDS Memorial Quilt. Now larger than 25 football fields and containing over 80,000 names, this quilt has united millions in the fight against AIDS. Knitters, too, have a long tradition of helping others, whether it be making afghans for refugees, mittens for the homeless, socks for soldiers, or preemie caps for AIDS babies.
Even during such dire circumstances as imprisonment, craft can work its magic power. I see the result each time I admire the fine craftsmanship of the needlework eyeglass case I bought from a Fine Cell Work pop-up shop in London. I also think about that charity, which teaches British prisoners needlework skills to boost their self-worth and foster hope. Closer to home, you may view prisoners' wooden boxes at Toronto Reference Library's Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the fifth floor. These boxes were hand carved and inscribed in 1838 by Toronto Gaol (jail) prisoner Joseph Milborn, as he was awaiting trial for his participation in the Rebellion of 1837-38.
10 thoughts on “The Power of Craft”
Great blog post Muriel. I expect we will see more and more hard scientific data about the health benefits of keeping your hands busy and the creative parts of your brain engaged in a craft.
Thank you very much, Iman. I will look forward to any forthcoming studies about the health benefits of craft. I do know how much I enjoy it, and benefit from its wonderful power.
Thanks for this Muriel. I’m sure you’re right about the healing properties of creativity and activity combined. As if this isn’t purpose enough, I think it also, maybe, helps people think?
You are welcome, Jane, and you are right, craft does indeed help people to think, and it has been proven scientifically. In a 2012 study, Mayo Clinic professor Yonas Geda and colleagues found that crafting activities engage the brain’s frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes, as well as the cerebellum. Calling on all of these brain regions stimulates neural connections and keeps the connections working quickly and efficiently.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/might-crafts-such-as-knitting-offer-long-term-health-benefits/2014/04/21/d05a8d40-c3ef-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html?utm_term=.87075a938e7d
Great blog Muriel! Nice to spread the word
about the love quilts. The memorial touched
everyone who got a chance to see it and
reminded us that the world cared.
Thank you, Vicki – the Toronto Love Project is a touching memorial, and it is heartwarming that so many quilters worldwide participated in it.
Dear Muriel:
I saw 5 Minute Crafts on Facebook and they have interesting videos on making quick crafts. It gives us hope and a sense of control that we are not just passive consumers but can remake the world with our current resources to our own style. This is a fun and inspiring blog, Muriel.
Thank you, Ann, and for your video recommendations, too! They are fun and practical, and do empower people to be creative in many ways.
Love the Maya Angelou quote! You’ve done a terrific job of highlighting the restorative and life-changing aspects of engaging in creative work. I like the way you point out that creativity can’take many different forms and be sparked by a variety of circumstances, too. Out of difficult times and situations things that didn’t exist before can come into being.
Reading your post made me think of the insightful writings of Cat Bennett. She has written a number of books on creativity that are available from the library. One of my favorites is Making Art a Practice … How to Be the Artist You Are.
Thanks again for a great post!
Thank you very much, Deb. I do find Maya Angelou to be inspiring, and truthful. Everyone is creative in their own unique way, and I am looking forward to reading your Cat Bennett recommendation.