Craft For Health

Sadness and Depression Overcome with Craft Therapy by Sandy Mastroni

I grew up with loving parents but ours was a house of sadness and depression .

My brother suffered with a mental illness and each day we walked on eggshells wondering what would happen next .

 

Colored pencils , ink, fabric , paper and clay were my salvation . Later in life Jesus became my salvation . He gave me art to get through the hard times and then when I was older I understood His loving kindness toward me I still create something everyday .  

Dolls , paintings , illustrations or pillows .  I don't feel alone and scared now . Now , because of His promises to me I can create something each day with joy .  [ My first name is actually Sandra Joy ]

You can see my work on my blog and there you will find links to my etsy shop , Flickr pages and the galleries that carry my work .

http://smastroni.blogspot.com

http://sandymastroni.etsy.com 

The Weight of Sadness Lifted with Paint and Paint Brush by Stephanie Paige Cole

Creating artwork was never my intention.  Not with this exhibit. I went to school for fine art and I love to create sculptures and paintings and photographs, but this was all far from my mind as I stood in my driveway heaving clay pots at the asphalt, cursing and crying. 

My daughter had just died and I was feeling desperate and destroyed, overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions.  The sound of the clay pot crashing into the driveway and splintering into pieces was satisfying, if only for a moment, and so that became my outlet.  Then one day I picked up a few of the broken shards.  I felt a connection to them, I was as broken and useless as they were, and I decided to give them another chance.  I brought them inside and sculpted them into a mangled heart.  I held this jagged little heart and stared at it and wept.  It was me.  Broken and destroyed but somehow still here. 

Seeing how creation could come from destruction was incredibly inspiring to me, and it opened the floodgates.  I explored the depths of my soul as I sculpted, collaged, sketched, photographed and wrote.  But it was painting that saved me.  I sculpted and sketched when I had an idea I wanted to express, but that's not how it was with painting. 

I painted because I simply felt incapable of doing anything else.  Most of my paintings were created late at night, when my husband was asleep and I was alone with the suffocating silence of my empty house.  I would sneak downstairs and sit on the floor of my living room, painting and crying until the sun came up.  It was such an incredible release to be able to pour myself all over the canvas.  The pain, the anger, the fear, the longing, it was all there in a way I couldn't have expressed in words.  Sometimes tiny glimpses of hope and gratitude would appear, which always surprised me. 

I could feel the weight of my sadness lifting as I transferred it onto the canvas, and by the time the piece was finished I was able to climb the stairs to bed and actually drift off to sleep.  I credit my creativity as the tool that allowed me to navigate my way through the darkness of that first year after Madeline's death, and I still cling to it today- three and a half years later- as I continue to struggle to adjust to life without my daughter.   

Stephanie Paige Cole is the author of  Still: A Collection of Honest Artwork and Writings From the Heart of a Grieving Mother.  She is also the founder of the Sweet Pea Projectand the artist behind the Beauty In The Breakdown exhibition.  Her firstborn child, Madeline Jonna Cole, was stillborn one week after her due date in January 2007.  

I Found Myself in Arts and Crafts by Reija Eng

I was recently talking to some old friends that I hadn't met since me and my family moved from Sweden to UK nearly two years ago. During this time I have carried our now 13-month-old twins full-term, given birth to them via a painful cesarean section, looked after our eldest four-year-old daughter alongside two babies and tried to keep everyone happy while never getting a whole night's sleep. In addition, I have been bound to my neighbourhood surroundings; I don't drive and I wouldn't fit in to the bus with the twin buggy and buggy board - a combination that people, more or less accurately, refer to as a minivan.
 
I was telling my friends how hard life was in the grey suburbs of London with endless rows of shabby houses and only a few trees, and how difficult it has been for us to adjust, being used to the lush green nature and fresh air of Sweden. In this moment one of my friends commented, with some amusement in his voice, that at least I had my scrapbooking.

 
Yes, at least I have my scrapbooking! My days are filled with routines involving my children and their wellbeing. It's a five to nine job without any major breaks. I take huge pride in what I do for my children, but without realising it I have slowly given up my social life and my freedom. There really isn't much one can do after the kids have gone to sleep, and although my husband contributes a lot to childcare and housework, I'm always too tired in the evenings. All this has led me to question who I am. Am I just a mother, an all-in-one diaper changing-washing-cooking-soothing-smoothing-mother-machine, alone in a foreign country? Or am I still me and if so, who exactly am I?

 
Everybody with children knows that part of being a parent is giving up on your own time and making way for a new identity. It's about thinking what's best for the children and doing your utmost for their growth and happiness in life. All parents know that in this lifechanging process it's easy to forget about yourself, but I think it's extremely important to find a balance between being a parent and being you, and giving yourself time without children.
 
In the midst of all these domestic demands, I can honestly say that scrapbooking has saved my life. It might sound strange but when I finally get some time for myself, after being up and running for 15 hours, being by myself and being creative means everything to me. Scrapbooking is my therapy. I love the evenings when I get to sit by myself and indulge in the pretty materials. It's a creative process, a complete opposite to my daily routines. It's my way of developing my identity and holding on to it. Going back to the moments captured on the photos helps me reflect on life and decide what memories I want to preserve for the future. To create something with photos of me and my family also makes me realise how great life is, despite the sleepless nights and the heavy workload. Ultimately, scrapbooking has made me realise that yes, I am a mum of three but I'm still me and a huge part of me is to use my hands creatively. I found myself in arts and crafts and being creative and expressing myself has helped me in finding my identity. And in the end, exploring and developing my identity has made me both happier and healthier. 
 
If you are interested in scrapbooking, have any questions or want to see what else I've made, you are more than welcome to visit my blog: http://reijapysslar.blogspot.com/

 

Unconditional Love Gave Me Artisit Confidence by Linda O'Neill

 

I have always had a very strong love for dogs...but never did I realize how much until my husband and I adopted a beautiful Retriever Mix about 10 years ago. Her name was Abby and she inspired me to start painting dogs.

I didn't have a lot of confidence in my art until then. I had worked for LucasFilm in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Digital Painter before moving to Colorado in 1998. When we got here, I started pursuing my Fine Art career again but felt as if I didn't have a real direction. We didn't have any friends here yet and so I felt a little isolated and unsure of my talent. I was definitely lacking confidence and was feeling pretty depressed.

When Abby came into our lives, things changed. She was a silly, funny, smart girl who looked up at me one day with those big brown eyes and I decided I just had to paint her. I think she sent me doggie brainwaves or something! Anyway, my first painting of her was pretty raw and unpolished...but there was something there that was special and worth pursuing. I kept at it and soon, with a new sense of self, my business was born. Abby had given me real gifts with her companionship...of love and confidence.

So now you know why my business is named, Abby Creek Studios. I just finished a new website (http://www.AbbyCreekStudios.com) so please come for a visit and take a look at my recent dog paintings

(http://www.abbycreekstudios.com/dog-portraits/) and other work. I have a blog (http://AbbyCreek-Art.blogspot.com) as well where you can read about the latest goings on as well as the antics of my new dog, Maisie.  She keeps the legacy going...and makes me laugh every day!

 My name is Linda O'Neill and I'm the Artist behind Abby Creek Studios (http://www.AbbyCreekStudios.com). I work in three styles of Art; Dog Portraits, Abstracts (http://abbycreekstudios.com/abstracts/) and Still Life (http://www.abbycreekstudios.com/still-life/)...but what touches my heart the most is painting dogs.

Painting Tomatoes

 

 

These were painted by Alicia Cohen who wanted to honor her father, an avid gardener who grew delicious tomatoes. Painting was her way of dealing with her dad's illness and a way of staying connected to him as his health declined.  

I asked Alicia about what she remembered about the first time you picked up the paint brush after 20 years?This is her answer:

"When I first picked up a brush after twenty years I was both nervous and excited. I had always wanted to paint but never made the time because I was afraid I wouldn't be any good. I had signed up for a drawing class first where I got some experience and a bit of confidence before I even bought a set of oil paints. 

I became frustrated initially because I could not get the paint to do what I wanted it to. As I learned to use the medium my confidence grew. There were times periodically where I became frustrated but I soon began to realized that this generally occurred when I was about to make some progress and/or I was thinking about my life rather than focusing on my art. 

 

 

Connecting with Other Artists and Art Journaling Healed my Depression

Artwork and story by Alyice Edrich

 

When I first began blogging, back in 2005, I just wanted to share my thoughts with the world in hopes that something I had to say would change the life of just one person. I had even hoped that by sharing my life, I would somehow feel connected to friends and relatives who were now miles and miles away. And, truth-be-told, I loved discovering that I wasn’t the only one going through certain struggles as I made new friendships with my readers.

 

But as fun as it was to share my life with others, the blog didn’t seem to serve any real purpose. And though I loved the healing aspect of the written word and the camaraderie I made amongst other bloggers, I needed more in my "real life".

 

We had moved to an area that wasn't very friendly when it came to outsiders and I found myself spiraling into a deep depression. I desperately wanted to feel connected with somebody—to get outside of my own head and I wanted to take some of the pressure off my husband and kids to "entertain" me. But try as I might, I just couldn't make any in-person friendships.

 

Then I discovered art blogs.

 

When I discovered art blogs it was as though a whole new world had opened up to me and I was hooked! I enjoyed the visual stimulation I got from the new project posts. I found inspiration in the personal struggles as well as the accomplishments of the artists. For some reason, connecting with other artists, albeit online, was healing.

 

Soon, I found myself reminiscing about the old days—the days when I, too, created art.

Quilting as the Art of Healing by Jeannie Bush

It is early Friday in La Crosse WI. My sister, in Fargo, ND, calls to say there has been a change in Dad’s breathing. You will want to come home, but know that you will not make it “in time.”

 

Five days later, Dad is still alive; his pacemaker keeps on pacing.  The five of us kids and Mom try to pace ourselves. In life and in death, Dad had a hard time giving up.

 

Each of us handles the stress of a death of a parent or loved one differently. For me, sitting at my sister’s home and hand sewing on the binding of a quilt gave me peace. 

 

My sister and I had shared the making of this quilt to give to our nephew and his bride . . . the wedding just over a week away.  Calm comes over me as I thread the needle, feel the fabric with my fingers, and rhythmically stitch the binding. . . but I see in my mind,  my Dad dying the wasting-away- kind-of- death he feared, just like when he was a Prisoner of War under the Japanese in WWII. Tears fall on the wedding quilt.

 

In the past eight years, my husband lost his job of 23 years, gained and lost four more jobs, is unemployed presently, and had a massive heart attack at age 46; we became empty nest; my father died; my mother has slipped into vascular dementia; my sister has colon cancer; my mother-in-law has breast cancer, chronic lymphatic leukemia and had a hemorrhagic stroke. I come from a family of medicine, and understand it well, but, is this enough stress yet?

 

When my world is falling down around me, I head to my sewing area. Smell the unique scent of fabric. Feel the soft, rough, smooth textures. Put some fabrics together on the design wall. Hear the whir of sewing machine. Calmness comes over me. Now I can sort the feelings, deal with some, put some away for later. Some would call it therapy. I call it quilting, the art of healing.

 

Written by Jeannie M. Bush

Founded in 1999, Quilting From My Heart created quilted treasures with personalized story labels that will touch your heart.

www.QuiltingFromMyHeart.com

http://quiltingfrommyheart.com/blog/

When My Creative Urge Hits, It's So Overpowering It Cannot Be Ignored

I can't imagine living without art in my life.

I surround myself with it daily. Whether it is spending time painting, drawing, sewing, making jewellery, taking photos, drawing with my son or browsing through beautiful blogs on the internet... art plays a part in every day of my life.

And while I love to create art myself, I love to own pieces created by others. My home not only houses lots of my own work, but also many pieces, by many artists from around the world. Even if it is something as small as a little jewellery pendant. Every piece of art made with skilled and caring hands, is special to me.

The world of art has been brought into everyone's homes in an incredibly accessible way, through creative blogging, magazines, and books. I'm so inspired to create when I read these blogs, magazines and books. They make me want to pull out my supplies, or go shopping to get supplies to use in a new form of art. Once that creative urge hits, it's so overpowering and there's no way that I can ignore it.

I love that these forms of media can have this effect, especially when I think I am becoming stale and not moving forward in my work. They inspire me, and give me new things to try out. Once I have tried something new, I do one of two things. I either take it further, or find that it gave me enough of a break from the "stale stuff", that I have become refreshed and ready to work on what I felt was not moving along.

Living with art makes me see the beauty or potential in things. Noticing not only that the rose bush is beautiful, but looking right into the head of a flower, noticing the minute details, the perfection, the perfect imperfection.... or noticing the way paint is chipping off an old tin box, but resisting the urge to sand and restore it because the paint has faded to a shade that could never be replicated without time and weather.

I live with art, and see the beauty in life, in places that are expected, and unexpected. I love that art, and artists, have taught me to do that.

www.natashaburns.blogspot.com

www.natashaburns.com

How Mod Podge, Acrylic Paint, and Glitter Helped Mend one Woman's Heart By Beth Engelman PLUS GIVEAWAY

Labor’s Lost Love

I called around 2 AM.  He was sleeping.

“I’m in labor.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me.  I know.  I’ve even called the doctor.”

 “I’ll fly out this morning,” he said, before abruptly hanging up the phone. I was pretty sure he was on his way out the door.  Later, I would find out that his girlfriend was at the house too.

“This isn’t fair,” his girlfriend cried, running out in the street, wearing little except a long t-shirt and imitation Uggs.  He was making his way to the taxi. “I never asked for this kind of drama!” Her face was red and she was crying. “This is entirely not my…” He turned around, kissed her, and whispered something in her ear that made her smile. Then he got in the cab and drove off. 

Of course, I heard this story, months later from my neighbor Sally, who lived one floor below us and was the first one we told we were pregnant.  She was also our realtor and was in the process of helping us close on our new house, which makes it all the more confounding that he would think it was okay to move his girlfriend in three days after I walked out.

My Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis Made Me Realize that Dreams Cannot be put on Hold

Photography by Courtney Carver

Photography is part of me and has been ever since I can remember. In my experience, I have loved the sound of a shutter, the smell of dark room chemicals and now the immediate gratification of digital photography. When I was at Savannah College of Art and Design twenty years ago, being a fine art photographer was my dream.

My diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2006 made me realize that life can change in a heartbeat and dreams cannot be put on hold until the timing is perfect. I launched my first photography collection in the Fall of 2007 and The RIDE Project in the Fall of 2009. I am living the dream!

The ride project is my commitment to donate $1,000,000 to the Myelin Repair Foundation through photography sales of limited edition prints focusing on things that move. This mission to help Cure MS through my art has given me energy and inspired me to thing big. I know I need to stay healthy through a clean diet, exercise and low stress lifestyle so when the Cure for MS is available, I am ready for it!

At http://www.therideproject.com, you will also find my blog and helpful resources to MS patients and their families and to everyone who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Attached are three low res images and links are below.

Thanks again!
Courtney