In today's world, our teams often find themselves tied to their desks, navigating a constant stream of emails, meetings, and deadlines. This relentless pace can leave little room for creativity and innovation to flourish. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that employees who were constantly interrupted by emails could face a 'cognitive overload', accompanied by lower work performance (Letmathe, 2024).
In our increasingly digital world, it's also easy to forget the joy of creating something with our own two hands. Amidst the constant stream of notifications and screens, there's a growing movement to reconnect with the tactile experiences of crafting. For instance, the 'Maker Movement' has made waves from America to Indonesia, and has reached us here in Singapore. With an increasing number of people delving into creating and selling their hand-made crafts, many stated that getting into crafting encourages them to slow down, engage their senses, and remind themselves that there's more than the '5 Cs' (Zachariah et al. 2014).
Whether it's terrarium making or balloon sculpting, crafting offers a unique blend of creativity, mindfulness, and relaxation. The act of using your hands to transform raw materials into something beautiful can be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding.
Offer your team the opportunity to reap the benefits of crafting together:
Stress Reduction: Engaging in crafting activities can help to reduce stress levels by allowing you to focus on the present moment and quiet the mind. The repetitive motions involved in many crafts can have a calming and meditative effect. Registered psychologist Sahra O’Doherty says that these motions lead to crafters entering a 'flow state', an experience where someone is so engaged in a positive activity that time flies by. Moreover, studies shows that creating art reduces the 'stress hormone', cortisol, in our bodies, leading to a more relaxed state of mind (Slater, 2024).
Increased Creativity: Crafting provides an outlet for your creativity and allows you to express yourself in unique and meaningful ways. It can help to spark new ideas and inspire innovative thinking! There are rarely rigid rules, allowing you to experiment with different techniques, materials, and approaches. This freedom fosters a playful and exploratory mindset, where limitations become opportunities for innovation.
Improved Cognitive Function: Many crafting activities require focus, problem-solving, and fine motor skills, all of which can help to sharpen cognitive abilities. For instance, knitting requires careful reading, pattern recognition, and the ability to visualize the final product. These pursuits of creatively engaging with your cognitive functions have shown to preserve your mind and stave off dementia (Strickland, 2015).
Social Connection: Crafting can be a social activity, providing opportunities to connect with friends, family, and other crafters. Joining a crafting group or attending a workshop can offer a supportive and inspiring environment.
Feeling inspired? Ready to get your hands dirty? Take a look at some of the workshops we offer!
Bear Brick Acrylic Pour
The Bear is your canvas…literally!
Let your creative juices flow with a 1.5 hour Bear Brick Acrylic Pour workshop. Whether it's a corporate team bonding workshop or after-school enrichment activity for students, participants have the opportunity to take home a bear brick as a memorandum or a display piece! Read more on how we conduct our workshops here.
Terrarium Making
Feeling Nostalgic?
Learn about creating miniature ecosystems in just an hour! Participants learn how to arrange Terrarium Plants within a glass container, creating a self-sustaining environment. The glass terrarium mimics natural cycles where water in the soil evaporates, rises to the top of the glass, and falls back down to water the plants. The plants also use sunlight to make food and release oxygen, and eventually decompose and return nutrients to the soil. Design your very own terrarium to reflect your unique style and vision, choosing the plants, rocks, and decorative elements that resonate with you. Learn More here!
The Value of reconnecting with crafts
By engaging in hands-on activities, we can cultivate a sense of groundedness and mindfulness. Crafting allows us to slow down, embrace the present moment, and connect with our creativity. Allow your team to make meaningful memories by reaching out to us at askgroupaid@gmail.com and learn how you can get involved.
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