Fiber In My Hands, Less Sadness In My Brain

Being a highly creative person, I have a very vivid imagination. I mean VERY vivid. I am prone to go over every little situation in my head in exacting detail, even when it has never even happened (I’m usually wrong about the outcome.) I often wake up in the middle of the night reliving the days events (usually the negative ones) or I have crazy dreams about whatever I’m worried or sad about. I end up in mind spirals that go around and around in my brain until I distract them with something else.

Sometimes this means reading a book, or playing solitaire on my phone, but more often than not it means getting something creative into my hands. I love to draw and paint, but when I’m in that sort of headspace I’m not usually very successful with a project of that kind. I have different modes of creation, there’s the highly motivated, everything just flows out of me kind of project, there’s the struggling through a complicated creative project but relishing the challenge kind of project, and there’s the I just need something comforting in my hands right now sort of project.

That brings me to my beloved fiber arts. For me that generally means knitting, weaving, or spinning, depending where I am and what time of the day/night it is. Usually, I’ll pick up a simple repetitive knitting project, or sit at my loom or spinning wheel until I’m only focusing on my task and the negative thoughts are no longer swirling around in my mind. It’s definitely a sort of meditation for me, only I don’t get as twitchy as sitting still and actually meditating would make me.

I don’t even mind when a project is being naughty (or knotty lol) because this means I’m focused on troubleshooting something I can deal with, rather than the things I can’t. It usually leads me to a sense of accomplishment along with the calming of my mind. And, I can’t help but love a finished project that was produced with such healing energy and spiritual connection as these projects tend to have.

I know not everybody has a lovely loom or spinning wheel like I do. (Believe me, I know how fortunate I am.) But, I don’t think the tools or even the project really matter, it’s more about the process. Focusing on your hands is such a great way to get your mind to calm down, and to do something you can enjoy even for only a few minutes. I happen to love feeling yarn or fiber in my hands when I’m struggling, but I know that some people love to journal, or doodle in a sketchbook, or mend tears in their clothing, or bake cookies. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are using your hands to do it and it helps your brain feel happier.