Art therapy: Crochet As you walk through the park, there on the bench sits a person crocheting. You notice the way they move their hands, pushing and pulling, interlocking the fibers. You continue walking and make one lap around. When you return, you can see how it has grown: hundreds of stitches form a single fabric. You continue walking and as you finish your second lap, they still sit there crocheting. They smile as they work, blissfully unaware of the world around them. On the road nearby, one driver honks at another, who responds by sticking his head out the open window to give a piece of his mind. Yet the crocheter doesn’t look up. Unphased, they continue working, focused and content. While crochet may seem to be just a fun hobby at first glance,
it offers many overlooked benefits. In addition to being entertaining, it can also be useful in the management of many illnesses, both mental and physical.
happy because when I have all these responsibilities, just being able to sit down and crochet is my favorite. So I wish I had more time for it because I love it,” says Goldwater.
Chapter 1: Mental Health
It was something to put your mind on and not think about all those other things that you don't want to think about
In “Crafting for Health,” Ashley Foster asserts that crafts like crocheting and knitting have been proven useful for helping combat anxiety and depression and have been commonly used as a form of art therapy by many rehab facilities and therapists. Repetitive motions tend to have a soothing effect which makes these crafts an effective creative outlet to help manage stress. High school student and crocheter Alessia Rella explains, “It’s repetitive, but it also takes a little bit of brain power, so you can’t just zone out,” which rings true for many other crafters. Even though it eventually becomes muscle memory, you still need to pay attention to other details which makes it a great distraction. “It was something to put your mind on and not think about all those other things that you don’t want to think about” (Rella). Setting aside a bit of time in your day for the things you enjoy is also important to avoid getting overwhelmed, which is exactly what college student Kali Goldwater does. “It makes me