On Crafting & Community
Over the weekend we hosted our first Crafternoon at Kindman & Co., a free and open-to-the-public community crafting event. We sipped tea, enjoyed snacks, met new people, and of course crafted our little hearts out.
Before the crafternoon
Leading up to this event, I noticed the regular onslaught of anxious thoughts flooding my brain - what will I craft? What if it doesn’t come out right? Or, people think it’s dumb? I’ll probably say something stupid. What if I already feel overwhelmed? For me, my anxiety tends to be the perfect fuel for cancelled plans, especially in these already chaotic times. But, by now I also know that too many quiet nights in, too many cancelled plans, and the isolation that ensues does not exactly ease the spirit, either. And, once I settled into the moment in a grounded and connected way, the crafts crafted and the time flew, as the fear and anxiety melted into the background - a facade all along.
At Crafternoon, I didn’t feel as worried about the vulnerability of expressing creativity in front of others because no one was there to judge, or even focus on the outcome. It was like the process of creating together, was the juice, and the trinkets and art we left with were just the extra pulp. Some folks learned new crafts, some picked old hobbies back up, and some continued refining their works in progress. Many people brought enough materials to share, making it easy to try something new.
“There was something to the body doubling that made it so much easier to get back into an activity that I actually enjoy.”
As I put finishing touches on my fifth beaded keychain, I realized it had been years since my last bout of beading, my children’s bead kit still nearly full. There was something to the body doubling that made it so much easier to get back into an activity that I actually enjoy, when it normally feels so brainless, tempting and automatic to reach for the smartphone or the TV remote, or some other media distraction. Making the time to craft didn’t add to my overwhelm the way my anxiety cautioned me at first, but it turned out to feel restorative and refreshing. It reminded me how much crafting is as much a form of meditation as it is a form of play. And getting to do it together, in community, in such a low stakes environment made it even better. Connecting with the community, seeing others’ projects progress, sharing materials but also tips and tricks, and making and exchanging personalized knickknacks, pumped some new blood through the parched veins of humanity. If you were considering attending, join us next time!
Crafternoon is also just the beginning, as we plan to open our space up to host and organize more community events. In May, we’ll be hosting Civic Sunday, a political action taking gathering, writing postcards and phone/text banking to support democracy. And in June, we’ll be hosting Pages in Common, another free, open-to-the-public community event where we’ll read together, swap books, and enjoy being in community. Check out our events calendar on our website for more information on upcoming events, or to register for Pages in Common.
Featured therapist author:
Logan Kim is a pansexual, non-binary Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. They really enjoy supporting individuals, couples, and families to heal attachment injuries and intergenerational trauma, foster healthier relationships, and reconnect with their bodies, feelings, and authentic selves. Logan is especially passionate about disrupting the cisheteropatriarchy and working with queer and trans folks, exploring issues around identity, relationships, sexuality, and gender. In addition to being excited about therapy, they also find joy existing in nature, watching reality TV, and engaging in creative hobbies, like sewing and watercolor.
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We are here for your diverse L.A. counseling needs. Our team of therapists provides lgbtqia+ affirmative therapy, couples therapy & premarital counseling, grief & loss counseling, group therapy, and more. We have specialists in trauma, women's issues, depression & anxiety, substance use, mindfulness & embodiment, and support for creatives. For therapists and practice owners, we also provide consultation and supervision services! We look forward to welcoming you for therapy in Highland Park and online.