What you create shapes you - Workshop in Craft Psychology
Craft psychology can actually help with that. It's not just something I'm saying. It's research and evidence that proves what people have intuitively known for thousands of years:
Your hands create your mood.
It was morning in Aalborg. I had just arrived. I knew that today we would be working with modeling. It wasn't my strong suit, but then Ruth came through the door. She was a curvy, lush lady. She put her clothes on the teacher's table, and our teacher introduced that we would be working with croquis modeling all day(!)
A small sigh moved through my own body as I slowly began shaping the clay.
The work took shape, and the sigh in my body was almost gone. Ruth took a lunch break and returned to her position at the table. I didn't have lunch that day. I didn't take breaks. I shaped. I looked at Ruth and examined her body and all the little details I could find. My hands worked.
Time passed. The day passed, and when Ruth had left, I continued working on the final details. I took the train home in the late afternoon. As I sat on the train, I realized I was hungry. Really hungry. I hadn't eaten all day, and I was an hour late for my train.
I had been in flow!
Back then, there was no such thing as Craft psychology. We all felt what working with clay did to us, but no one really knew why?
We were happy about it. We didn't think about annoying conversations or big worries. We took a break from that when we worked with the clay.
But why??
When you are in flow and fully immersed, the brain cannot speculate.
You forget about worries and everyday problems, and are in a bubble of well-being. A time that is completely your own. Maybe you've tried it?
Or have you tried doing something with your hands where you experience repetition? When you knead your clay or smooth a surface. A movement that you do with your hands over and over again activates your relaxation response and lowers your heart rate and blood pressure.
It all requires you to find your passion. It could be ceramics, woodworking, knitting, car repair or something else entirely. An inner motivation. Something that you do because YOU LOVE IT. Not because you get paid for it or feel like you should do it, but something that you can't help but do, just because...
After the advent of social media and digital screens, we have become accustomed to thinking in two dimensions. Hand/eye coordination is trained when we look at our mobile phones, but
Several articles show that fine motor skills have deteriorated since the early 10s, and pose challenges in several studies. For example, future doctors may have difficulty threading the needle they need to sew with.
Give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and come to the workshop on Craft psychology. We will do exercises with clay, and the theory should not be understood with the head - but felt in the body. The exercises will, among other things, focus on repetition, flow and cohesion. You will experience how needlework and craftsmanship can strengthen our own and others' well-being.
Anyone can join in, and no prior knowledge is required. However, you won't be able to leave the clay lying around when you get home.
Craft psychology is based on psychologist/PhD Anne Kirketerp's evidence-based work on the role of the hand in well-being, coping and psychological resilience.
Does this sound exciting? Then come to a workshop in Craft psychology with Kirsten Kühne at Clay Days.
Kirsten Kühne has a master class in Craft Psychology from Anne Kirketerp and is a trained teacher in glass, ceramics and drawing. She is ready to give you knowledge and a greater understanding of craft psychology.