Unraveling Stress, One Stitch at a Time

Nearly fifty years after my grandmother first taught me how to crochet, I picked up a hook again, and it was like I never stopped. Crocheting is one of those things that, once you learn, your hands never forget. You just pick up the needle and go.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that life is so much more than work; it’s about finding balance, joy, and meaning beyond the hustle, and remembering who you are when you step away from what you do. There are moments when I need to pause, step away from the emails, meetings, and to-do lists, and just be. When my world feels heavy, I need a release -something that centers me back to myself.

For many years, candlemaking was that outlet for me. I started my candle business purely from passion. But after COVID, I decided to close my company. I still love pouring candles, but now I give them as gifts because I realized that a creative outlet doesn’t always have to be monetized. Sometimes, it can simply be an expression of love and giving.

But if I’m honest, there was a time when I lost my spark. The joy got extracted from the very thing I loved once a business model was attached to it. I was so focused on finding ways to monetize my creativity that I forgot how to just create.

Now, I’m taking a new approach: creating without pressure. I make things simply because they bring me peace. I share what I create with myself first and then with the people I love most. No price tags, no production schedule, no expectations, just pure creativity.

Crocheting has become a form of therapy for me. I’ve poured so many thoughts, emotions, and prayers into each stitch. I realized it was therapy when I found myself crocheting whenever I felt stressed and even when I felt at peace. It’s my way of quieting my mind while keeping my hands busy.

Funny enough, I used to resent spending my summers as a child in the house learning this craft under my grandmother’s watchful eye. But now I understand she was teaching me peace. She was giving me a lifelong way to slow down, reconnect, and create calm in the chaos.

We all need something that takes us back to ourselves, something that reminds us that rest and creativity can coexist. So here’s your gentle reminder: sign up for that creative class you’ve been putting off, and when you do, consider supporting a local small business that’s sharing its passion with the world. Pull out that old hobby. Paint, write, crochet, whatever speaks to you. Give yourself permission to create without purpose other than joy.

Sometimes, the most beautiful things we make aren’t for profit or applause; they’re for our own healing. 💛