I have heard recently about a connection between creativity and anxiety. Anxiety seems to stifle creativity and creativity can help dampen anxiety. It feels like a chicken/egg situation. I have spent the last few months trying to notice how this plays out for me. I am a logical problem-solving person for the most part, but I also like to try to control my environment. I am also someone who likes to be busy and doing things on a daily basis.

I do not deal with anxiety all the time. However, I have noticed the older I get and the longer I live out this “adult” life, the more anxious I can feel in my body. That can be a number of contributing factors including health, peri-menopause, stress, business, and family…not even including the world at large!

I don’t always do crafty things, but I do like to crochet, sew, quilt, and play some musical instruments. Growing up home-schooled, I had lots of time to pursue each of these. I would sew doll clothes or make a doll-size quilt. I also decided one year to play through an entire hymn book. Part of this was self-preservation because my pastor-dad would pick random hymns for church that no one knew, and I started playing the piano for church when I was 11.

So the thought of me starting a project was never far out of reach. However as life got busier, I noticed something. I had kids and helped at church and worked a job, etc. I did not default to always having a project going. I also tended to do all the things or none of the things. One year I could make a dozen rag quilts for the nieces and nephews and kids. Followed by the next year of sewing Scottish Dance costumes. There always seemed to be a demand for the project more than the outlet for creativity.

Over the last few years, I have started to become more aware of my thoughts and doing the work to change the direction of thoughts. I realized that my default was becoming worrying over a situation and feeling like things were out of my control. When I heard about the connection between creativity and anxiety, it really clicked for me that I could do something about this. I could intentionally use the creative side of myself to help keep the anxious side of myself at bay. So that is how I started it. Somewhat of an experiment to see if it would really work. And it did help to a point.

But it was still easy for me to put the pressure on the project or the completion of the project instead of the process. This winter, I decided to pivot in thought again. Make it more about the process of learning knitting and not about perfecting knitting. And it worked. I started a scarf. I had to take it out and restart it at least a half-dozen times. But I left it on the table next to my chair, and would pick it up and work on it when I had time. Then I would put it down and leave it. There was not the rush or the need to rush. I also watched some videos on techniques. The best end result did not even end up being the scarf.

What I learned from this is how doing something with your hands (like knitting) helps your mind settle. I honestly did not watch TV while I was doing this. Occasionally I would listen to an audio book, but most importantly I sat with my thoughts and let my body move in a soothing rhythm with my hands. And it was calming for my mind and my heart. It gave me opportunity to pray as thoughts came to my mind. It gave me opportunity to feel said, cry, or even softly smile as a memory came to mind.

So maybe look for something creative to do with your hands. Something simple or maybe something you have always wanted to try. Maybe it leave it by your chair, or take it in the car with you. While you are waiting for your child to come out of basketball practice, maybe try crocheting instead of scrolling on social media. (more thoughts about correlation between anxiety and social media to come).