Before There Were Therapists – There Were Crafts

~Sondra Moore

Why do middle-aged women harbor dreams of having a craft room? Because they crave sanity.

When life comes crashing down on you, just take a step back and know this: YOU are the result of creativity; your very existence is testimony to eons and eons of the creative process. Genetics are just a side component of our ancestral tool kit. YOU are the summation of creativity itself. We can trace our hair color through generations of ancestral hook ups, but stop and question:  how did our ancestors actually survive in order to pass on their DNA? What did it take for those ancestors to survive against all odds? Many qualities such as hard work, strength, luck, perseverance, and intelligence were required to ensure mankind’s survival, but none of those qualities would have existed without creativity. Creativity enabled our ancestors to craft an existence in the world and ensure our survival.

Before everything, there were crafts.  How long would our ancestors have survived without tools, clothing, and shelter? They needed to make things to ensure survival. Baskets needed to be made, clothing needed to be sewn, stones needed to be sharpened, and pottery needed to be made just to continue human evolution. Weaving, Sewing, Lapidary, Pottery. Crafts ensured our survival. Without them, we would not be here today. Our creativity made our very survival possible. It enabled us to adapt and flourish amidst strife and adversity.

Ancient people relied on their creativity to meet their needs for survival – this was the birth of crafts. As civilizations progressed more craftsmen were needed to fulfill the expanding needs of the community. EVERY thing throughout history required a craftsman to make it.

While the humble craft satisfied society’s utilitarian needs and ensured our survival, it also addressed more subtle and profound needs of the community as well.  Crafts became the glue that kept communities together and kept individuals physically, as well as mentally healthy. They promoted community interaction and security while we created valuable skill sets to ensure our survival.

Crafting takes the humblest of materials and transforms them into the highest expressions of creativity with the simplest of tools. The process is repetitive and mundane. Repetition and simplicity are very soothing to the human soul. The very act of doing a repetitive thing calms us and gives us a safe escape from the cacophony of our daily lives. Crafting is a kinesthetic mediation where we are able to maintain an inner dialogue with ourselves. It stills our minds and calms our nerves. It fosters confidence as well as pleasure and empowers us.

So, when life flies off the rails and the world becomes unhinged, take up knitting – or any other craft you may be interested in that gives you pleasure. Quilts are made from scraps of cloth, pottery was made from available clay, toys were carved from branches, pictures made with dryer lint, masks made from packing paper, jewelry made from wire, painted rocks and eggs – the possibilities are endless. There is no need to buy anything. Look around you and see what you have to work with, then do something with it and reap the rewards.  It’s an ancient tradition!