Article by Riane Lumer, Published by CNN. September 20, 2024.
Read the full article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/15/health/arts-and-crafts-increase-mental-health-wellness/index.html
Excerpt:
Southampton, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Walking into my grandmother’s house, I watch her hands move in a fast-weaving motion as stitches extend from her knitting needles. Beside her are layered stacks of knit blankets, scarves and ponchos stitched with carefully selected color schemes and patterns made of wool yarn. She donates these blankets to children’s hospitals and foster homes.
Her favorite pastime is creating. She is always crafting, whether it’s knitting, coloring, scratch art or most recently, dabbling in gem art. These activities provide her satisfaction and purpose in ways more fulfilling than work.
She infused her love for arts and crafts into the rest of my family. My mom joined community theater groups when she became an empty nester and learned pour painting. My younger cousin photographs nature, and his father (my uncle) has a comedic podcast with voice actors. My twin brother and I sang in college — it kept us sane while balancing our heavy academic workloads.
We thought it was beneficial for our health, and we were right. Creating art reduces levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, past research has shown.