Rewards
Written by Michaela MacBlake Matthews
It’s no secret that gratitude is key to maintaining a sense of happiness, peace, and general well being in your life! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re all reminded to take the initiative to be extra grateful- and our craft projects are no exception! So how can you express thanks through creativity this holiday season?
Art Journaling The Year’s Triumphs
Take a look at the past eleven months, as 2022 starts to come to a close. What were the best moments of this year? Where did you find joy, what did the good seasons feel like? How did you achieve new goals, internal or external?
Whatever good has come your way this year, take some time to commemorate it with your crafting. Use colors that remind you of your favorite moments, pick out some novelty buttons to represent an inside joke, or use drawings and patches to mark out these memories!
Creating Gifts For The People Who Helped You Along
In similar fashion, who helped you reach new heights this year? Who picked you up when you were down? Consider making gifts for these people- but don’t think ‘Christmas gifts’ . Instead, think about who they were to you throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Start with the intention to create something that says, ‘Thank you for being you’ and see where the project leads!
Creating From The Story Of Resolved Problems
The last method is a little more intense: look back on your unresolved issues from last year. What did you use to struggle with, that is no longer a problem for you anymore? How did you overcome obstacles, or stop old patterns? Where did you heal, and let go of pain?
Take this story, and use your crafts to illustrate it from beginning to end. Show the feeling of the solution, whether it was brought about by careful detail or loosening up, and let it overtake the old negative emotions. You can do this by having a small section of your project represent the pain points, and the rest of it bringing in the feeling of relief, peace, or understanding that eventually won out in the end.
Gratitude And Abundance
Whether we have a lot or a little this time of year, we can always multiply it by taking the time to appreciate what we do have. By taking the time to really think about the good things in our lives, we allow ourselves to replay how these things came to be, and align ourselves to receive more positivity as the New Year approaches!
"Mac" is on the Lifestyle Team here at Darn Good Yarn, and loves taking a ‘teach a man to fish’ approach to creative therapy. She is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is also the surreal artist and author behind Surrealismac.
