‘Making things can mend your mind’ – Telegraph
‘Chicken soup for the crafter’s soul’ – Publisher’s Weekly
_______
What is that unique feeling that goes hand-in-hand with making something from scratch? Do you ever wonder where the time goes when you’re lost in drawing or working with clay? Are you happiest when you’re sewing or knitting?
Craft enthusiasts are no doubt already aware of the joys of making and the frustration when you must put aside your project and go back to your day job or to less enticing tasks around the house. But there is more to crafting than the simple enjoyment of a creative hobby.
Drawing on the first-hand accounts from everyday crafters, Craftfulness considers the vital well-being effects to be gained from the simple expression of your creativity, and investigates the soul-cleansing and stress-relieving benefits of making things by hand.
An all-you-need-to-know friendly guide to inspire you to give making a go, Craftfulness:
– explores the science of creativity and the authors’ down-to-earth craft ethos, as well as why everyone should develop a craft habit;
– suggests ways to make time in a hectic life for everyday creative work
– considers how we can try to overcome self-criticism and lack of confidence
– features simple but immensely satisfying craft projects to still the mind and soothe the soul, complete with beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions
To read Craftfulness is the first step on the path to leading a happier, healthier, more satisfying and fulfilling life.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Making things can mend your mind.
Chicken soup for the crafter's soul.
Merging spirituality and craft, this book will guide your creative spirit and show you how using your own two hands can manifest a magical mindset. With simple DIY projects and anecdotes, this book is equal parts companion and resource for all creatives who want to dig deeper in understanding themselves and why they feel so good when they're making. A must have. A must read. A must re-read.
Craftfulness reminds us that at our core, no matter who we are and what we have been taught to believe about ourselves, all of us have an innate need to create-and our souls are happier when we do.
Craftfulness is, in many ways, the concept of mindfulness put into motion, empowering all of us to be creators and to reap the benefits-physical, mental, and spiritual-inherent in that act. Even if you've never so much as glued two popsicle sticks together, this book will help you to see the potential in everything from pieces of string to shoeboxes and motivate you to engage with them as a maker.
I remember the first time I realized I could do a paint-by-numbers or embroidery kit whenever I wanted to, on any evening I had free. That evening escape became such an anchoring, indulgent feeling of calm in my day-to-day life, and something I looked forward to all day long. [Craftfulness] perfectly encapsulates that exciting and empowering feeling of rediscovering the power of our own artistry, ancestry, and industry through craft(wo)manship. In my life there has been nothing so healing as the art I've made with my hands, and this book is the perfect way to celebrate that.