Crafting Wellness. Lifestyle Futures. Wool and the Gang

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1 Crafting Wellness Lifestyle Futures Wool and the Gang Annemarie O'Sullivan As the healing and wellness benefits of craft become more widely understood, making is being harnessed as a form of self-care.

2 Overview The process of making has a number of widely-reported health benefits, which are now being explored in more detail by scientists and researchers Alongside more specific health benefits, craft and making in general increase feelings of calm, creativity and capability. Craft also supports holistic views of health by strengthening the link between physical acts (the hand of the maker) and mental wellness As the mood market grows, consumers are harnessing craft and making processes for their wide-ranging self-care benefits Retailers and designers are responding with therapeutic craft experiences and maker kits that emphasise their connection to wellness and self-care The tactility of natural materials and textures also has an important part to play in wellness, as touch becomes more central to design development Sheena Liam

3 Mindful Making Craft has enjoyed a resurgence worldwide in recent years. In the wake of the financial recession, many people turned to craft processes as satisfying hobbies that also helped them save money. Since then, mindfulness has taken off on a global scale, which has propelled the benefits of craft further into the spotlight. The rhythmic nature of craft processes such as knitting, sewing, dyeing fabric or weaving can induce flow state a psychological term that describes the full immersion of the brain in a task. This state of mind is absorbing, relaxing and highly focused not unlike meditation and brings similar health benefits. Simply put, making things is good for your mind. The rise of consumer interest in crafted calm is driving a growing market for 'snackable craft'. This includes new magazines such as In The Moment, as well as a raft of DIY kits that introduce beginners to crafts, such as Michaels' trend-led Make It Kits, developed in collaboration with Pinterest. Michaels

4 Knit & Crochet Therapy UK-based physiotherapist Betsan Corkhill is a leading expert in therapeutic knitting. Her website, Stitchlinks, is an online community formed around the health benefits of knitting, which has been used to help soldiers treat their PTSD since the First World War, and is today used by crafters to help with conditions including pain, anxiety, depression and dementia. Wool and the Gang In a survey of 3,500 knitters globally, Corkhill found that 81% of respondents reported feeling happier during and after knitting. "Rhythmic repetitive movement enhances the release of serotonin which raises mood, is calming and an analgesic," says Corkhill. In addition, "when you're thinking creatively, you have more options open. This has a significant impact on your ability to manage life's challenges." Toronto-based life coach Karen Zila Hayes runs Knit Magic, whose programmes include Knit to Quit, to help smokers kick their habit, Knit to Heal, which helps people with health conditions, and Knit to Create, to alleviate stress. Stitchlinks Craft Yarn Council

5 CREATIVITY HAS A BIOLOGICAL BASIS AND, AS PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE WHOLE-PERSON OUTPUT, CAN POWERFULLY UNLEASH BENEFICIAL BIOPLASTIC CHANGE. David Butler Director of the Neuro-Orthopaedic Institute, Adelaide Forest & Found *Please make sure your copy does not fall below the guideline.

6 Craft Clinics Spaces and events that enable people to learn craft skills, invest time in making, and work alongside others are emerging with a self-care focus across design and retail. The New Craftsmen recently partnered with Selfridges' London flagship store to host A Home For All, a concept space that includes home-making craft workshops, such as sensory smudge-stick making with Lola Lely, sourdough kneading with The Anthropologists of Eating, and rag rug weaving with Bristol Weaving Mill. Lola Levy x The New Craftsmen Textile magazine Selvedge recently hosted a Craft Spa at The Art Workers' Guild in London. The day-long event included talks on the history of healing through craft, aromatherapy crafters' massages, and afternoon workshops in basket weaving, tapestry, spinning and quilting. The Craftivist Collective has expanded its crafted form of social activism by launching the School of Gentle Protest, a six-week online course in crafted activism to change the world and soothe the soul. Hilary Burns Craftivist Collective

7 Natural Textures Even when an item has not been personally crafted, it can bring wellness benefits to its user if it is made with natural materials and textures. Research shows that proximity to natural materials and elements consistently correlates with increased feelings of wellness. As National Geographic explained in its 2016 report This Is Your Brain On Nature, "Science is proving what we've always known intuitively: nature does good things to the human brain it makes us healthier, happier and smarter." These findings are applicable to indoor spaces and products as well as outdoor immersion in nature. A Human Spaces study found that levels of wellbeing and productivity were 13% higher for office workers in spaces that contained natural elements. Artisanal and crafted design is therefore much more than an aesthetic trend: it could be actively health-boosting. Rambutan at Little Vietnam

8 Action Points In the Age of Anxiety, customers are looking for ways to invest in self-care. How can your products and services cater to this need? Whether it's hands-on making or simply access to natural and handmade materials, craft will be key to future wellness practices. What is your brand's relationship to craft, and how can this be explored in fresh ways? In-store events and branded partnerships are a key way to activate this trend in a retail environment. Who are the experts and makers that you could work with in your industry or local community? Making can be entwined with other disciplines, such as aromatherapy, for multi-sensory benefits. How can you bring together the senses to enhance your customer's sense of wellness? Crafting wellness is also about taking the time to unwind. How can you help your customers take this time? The New Craftsmen

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