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I’ve been thinking about what quantifies as an essential service. Sure, food is a given and apparently toilet paper fits the bill considering the frantic buyout across North America. I suppose having to worry about being isolated for months, the thought of running out of bathroom tissue is a bit disconcerting, especially when the leaves aren’t out yet.
Its easy listing all the main essentials, the items that we need to survive like food, medications, furnace fuel, soap, propane, etc. but what about the needs to nurture our minds? Isolation can take a toll if we can’t find things to occupy our thoughts and our hands. Keeping them busy we are less likely to experience cabin fever, a term that originated from the pioneer days when the long winters confined people indoors resulting in irritability, listlessness, and other similar symptoms.
Crafts have always taken our minds off of our troubles, wiling away hours, dissolving malaise into thin air as we knit, stitch and pull loops. A quilt, a scarf, a hooked rug, something to show for our time and effort that might have been wasted on less meaningful things.
During this humanitarian crisis, don’t we need our crafts more than ever? Won’t they save our sanity as we struggle to get used to this new normal? Some are alone, feeling even more anxiety than those that have family members for company and support but creative people won't be alone, they are so fortunate to have a rich gathering of like minded, social media friends so they can interact and feel connected in this trying time.
I hear people say they plan to clean their homes, but how much housework can we accomplish before we go stir crazy? Who are we doing this for? We can’t invite anyone around to see how diligent we are with the vacuum cleaner so why bother? So don’t fret about cleaning, we need to express ourselves in meaningful ways, through our art in whatever medium we chose. We need to create!
If I couldn’t design, write and hook, my life would have less meaning. What is the point of this existence but to explore the creative? They say, happiness is the best medicine, and every crafter knows that our passions allow us to blissfully dwell in a happy place. Perhaps when we are occupied with creating, we are less anxious to go out and risk public appearances or disregard self distancing out of boredom.
Therefore, wool just might be essential for our mental health and well being, presenting a good argument that our crafts might be as important as food is for our physical health. I know a woman that would crawl naked over glass to get their hands on nice piece of wool….oh wait a minute….that’s me. Another important point, wiling away time with crafts reduces time that we will obsess over the state of our communities, our country and the world. We need to be informed but not inundated so our hobbies provide an excellent distraction.
I’m in a double risk category, over 60 and Diabetic, so at first, I panicked over the pandemic, but now I know that with care and by following the rules I should be safe. The more education I receive the more confident I have become and I adhere religiously to all the guidelines suggested. That being said I am no fool and once it hits this area the trips to the post office will cease immediately and I’ll be home with my feet up rug hooking like the rest of you.
I am so impressed with social media taking the place of social interaction. This safe forum allows people to share their projects, checking in with friends and loved ones, swapping recipes and telling their stories, sometimes sharing in grief and loss, connecting with people all over the world. What a fantastic way to keep in touch and stave off the loneliness of isolation, being a part of this world wide community of fiber artist.
So, who is to say that I don’t have a good case to work behind the scenes and service the needs of the right brained experience? Sending out hope and happiness with each parcel I wrap and take to the post office. I personally know of a few thousand rug hookers that would make a case for wool being an essential. Should I start a petition?
For as long as possible, I will work at the shop filling orders. I am diligent about practicing self distancing and keeping my hands away from my face and washing has become a constant habit. Because we don’t have walk in traffic, I won’t keep regular hours, arriving sometime between noon and one. I've been working late in the evenings so I need the mornings at home spending time with my pups. Both Shane and Deborah have been laid off so I am now the dyer, pattern maker and chief cook and bottle washer at the studio. I can be reached by email and the phone, if I don’t answer, leave a message and I will phone you back. I also hope to spend time designing new patterns over the next few months, I too need to be creative. We will be fully stocked and ready to serve you as soon as the bans are lifted and life adjusts to another new normal.
Boredom is a modern day curse. Our attention spans are shortening and we live in a world where we crave constant stimulation, but now, we will all be challenged to find ways to change our way of thinking or the isolation will be excruciating. We need to discover and indulge in the creative thought process and keep our hands from being idol. Nothing good ever came from being left alone with nothing to do.
Its easy listing all the main essentials, the items that we need to survive like food, medications, furnace fuel, soap, propane, etc. but what about the needs to nurture our minds? Isolation can take a toll if we can’t find things to occupy our thoughts and our hands. Keeping them busy we are less likely to experience cabin fever, a term that originated from the pioneer days when the long winters confined people indoors resulting in irritability, listlessness, and other similar symptoms.
Crafts have always taken our minds off of our troubles, wiling away hours, dissolving malaise into thin air as we knit, stitch and pull loops. A quilt, a scarf, a hooked rug, something to show for our time and effort that might have been wasted on less meaningful things.
During this humanitarian crisis, don’t we need our crafts more than ever? Won’t they save our sanity as we struggle to get used to this new normal? Some are alone, feeling even more anxiety than those that have family members for company and support but creative people won't be alone, they are so fortunate to have a rich gathering of like minded, social media friends so they can interact and feel connected in this trying time.
I hear people say they plan to clean their homes, but how much housework can we accomplish before we go stir crazy? Who are we doing this for? We can’t invite anyone around to see how diligent we are with the vacuum cleaner so why bother? So don’t fret about cleaning, we need to express ourselves in meaningful ways, through our art in whatever medium we chose. We need to create!
If I couldn’t design, write and hook, my life would have less meaning. What is the point of this existence but to explore the creative? They say, happiness is the best medicine, and every crafter knows that our passions allow us to blissfully dwell in a happy place. Perhaps when we are occupied with creating, we are less anxious to go out and risk public appearances or disregard self distancing out of boredom.
Therefore, wool just might be essential for our mental health and well being, presenting a good argument that our crafts might be as important as food is for our physical health. I know a woman that would crawl naked over glass to get their hands on nice piece of wool….oh wait a minute….that’s me. Another important point, wiling away time with crafts reduces time that we will obsess over the state of our communities, our country and the world. We need to be informed but not inundated so our hobbies provide an excellent distraction.
I’m in a double risk category, over 60 and Diabetic, so at first, I panicked over the pandemic, but now I know that with care and by following the rules I should be safe. The more education I receive the more confident I have become and I adhere religiously to all the guidelines suggested. That being said I am no fool and once it hits this area the trips to the post office will cease immediately and I’ll be home with my feet up rug hooking like the rest of you.
I am so impressed with social media taking the place of social interaction. This safe forum allows people to share their projects, checking in with friends and loved ones, swapping recipes and telling their stories, sometimes sharing in grief and loss, connecting with people all over the world. What a fantastic way to keep in touch and stave off the loneliness of isolation, being a part of this world wide community of fiber artist.
So, who is to say that I don’t have a good case to work behind the scenes and service the needs of the right brained experience? Sending out hope and happiness with each parcel I wrap and take to the post office. I personally know of a few thousand rug hookers that would make a case for wool being an essential. Should I start a petition?
For as long as possible, I will work at the shop filling orders. I am diligent about practicing self distancing and keeping my hands away from my face and washing has become a constant habit. Because we don’t have walk in traffic, I won’t keep regular hours, arriving sometime between noon and one. I've been working late in the evenings so I need the mornings at home spending time with my pups. Both Shane and Deborah have been laid off so I am now the dyer, pattern maker and chief cook and bottle washer at the studio. I can be reached by email and the phone, if I don’t answer, leave a message and I will phone you back. I also hope to spend time designing new patterns over the next few months, I too need to be creative. We will be fully stocked and ready to serve you as soon as the bans are lifted and life adjusts to another new normal.
Boredom is a modern day curse. Our attention spans are shortening and we live in a world where we crave constant stimulation, but now, we will all be challenged to find ways to change our way of thinking or the isolation will be excruciating. We need to discover and indulge in the creative thought process and keep our hands from being idol. Nothing good ever came from being left alone with nothing to do.
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