Americans love to make crafts. In fact, in over three-quarters of American households this is someone who loves to craft. If you paint, quilt, sew, scrapbook, do woodworking, or photography, you already know some of the benefits of your hobby. Now there is some evidence that crafts do even more than provide fun or make great gifts. Crafts are patent art forms that can distract the mind, soothe the soul, and de-stress the body.

Make time and space for your craft. It is so easy to fill up time with chores and daily tasks.

Build a social network of crafters. Enjoy each others company, share materials, advice, and socialize.

Enjoy the process. Part of the fun of crafting is using the materials.

Not a comparer be. Try instead to release comparisons and to forget about perfections. Your own style will evolve.

Benefit from the healing qualities of making something with your hands. "Crafts make you concentrate and focus on the her and now and distract you from everyday pressures and problems. They're stress-busters in the same way that meditation, deep breathing, visual imagery, and watching fish are" according to Robert Reiner, Ph.D. who authored a study on crafting for the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association.

If you are reading this, you are probably a crafter already. If you are just browsing, looking to start a new craft or restart one that you used to do, you can engage in crafting with full knowledge that it's good for you. We crafters know how to soothe our souls: it's by doing what we love!

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Mary Lou Johns is a certified Life Coach. She works with creative people to build their business, unblock their genius, and experience work/leisure balance. She can be reached at: MaryLou@BlueSkyCoaching.com