When I was a young child, I would watch my grandmother and mother create beautiful dresses made of silk garments, warm sweaters from yarn and creative images from embroidery. Soon, they taught me how to create as well, passing down their passion for handcraft down to me.
I remember the day my mother and I were crocheting. We were sitting quietly in our living room, classical Arabic music was playing in the background, we had some Arabic kleicha on our living room table (Arabic homemade cookies) and mint tea in a glass cup. The vibe was extremely soothing and relaxing.
That day, she was teaching me how to make a scarf. We both had our own crochet hooks and yarn. Mine was red and hers was pink. She would start to create the base masks and I would watch and follow her lead. We wouldn’t speak much, but our body language would exchange enough information to show our love for creating and the fun we were having.
However, it was the way we felt while creating that mostly stood out. Without exchanging any words, my mother taught me how to find peace within myself when I was feeling conflicted both emotionally and mentally. The feeling of crocheting was extremely liberating, I was so absorbed in what I was creating that nothing else seemed to matter, I forgot myself, my worries and felt that I was part of something bigger than me. There was something about the gentle curve of the hook, the challenge of a new stitch and the excitement after finishing a row. Having my own go-to project brought a sense of purpose and achievement. It taught me the importance of having an imagination and that it is possible to create something from nothing. It also taught me to have faith in my vision and trust my abilities and to have the courage to start or try something new, understand that failure is part of the growth process and should be used as motivation, fuel to keep moving forward.
One thing I keep learning from crochet is that sometimes difficulties will arise, pain and discomfort will be felt, but that there is always a solution and a way to tackle these situations. Through trial and error, by moving forward no matter what and by always knowing that I am capable to doing so much, more than I can imagine. All I need is to trust myself.
Today, there is a lot of research on how handcrafting is benefitial for our mental health. It is said that the gentle repetition of stitches stimulates the production of serotonin, which is a chemical in the brain that is responsible for maintaining our mood balance. Even the simple act of choosing colours can make us feel calm. Crochet has helped me to tune to the present, being mindful of how I am feeling and what I am experiencing.
Our world is getting busier by the day and it is vital to take care of ourselves both physically and mentally. Find something you love to do – what did you used to create when you were a kid? What was that one thing you would be fully absorbed in? What are you interested in now? Is there something you wish you knew how to do? By nurturing our creativity we are also nurturing our soul. Make creating a daily habit and watch yourself heal and flourish.
Author: Mayce El-Reem
Email: [email protected]
Author Bio: My name is Mayce and I am a creative. Since I was young, I have always had creative to-go projects, whether that has been re-designing a jacket, embroidery, crocheting or taking photos. The passion for creating has grown throughout the years, especially when I learned and noticed the benefits it had on my well-being. Today I have my own online shop for crocheted handmade clothes, such as tops, skirts and dresses. I am also the creative director for my social media accounts, as I take the majority of the pictures and create videos as well.
Link to social media or website: Instagram @mayce.elreem | http://www.mayce-elreem.com
Main Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash
