Threaded Relief: How My Hands Help Me Heal

An Artful Practice of Listening to What I Need Most

Reflection:

There are days when I don’t even have words for what I’m feeling. That’s when my hands know what to do. Over the years, I’ve come to notice a pattern—certain kinds of creating meet me right where I am, depending on what I need to release, hold, or understand.

When anxiety flares and my thoughts won’t sit still, I reach for my yarn. Crocheting slows my breath. The rhythm, the looping, the soft tug of yarn—it’s as though my nervous system is unraveling right alongside the thread. It doesn’t fix everything, but it helps me stay with myself when I’m spiraling.

When anger or grief surges up, wild and messy, I paint. I don’t think, I just do. Color becomes emotion. Texture becomes voice. There is no “wrong” here, only release. And by the time the paint dries, I’ve let something out that needed to be seen.

Then there are times I feel unmoored, like I need something steady. That’s when I sew. Stitch by stitch, I’m grounding myself. I can feel the weight of the fabric, the sure path of the needle, the way small mends add up to something beautiful and whole. Sewing reminds me: I am still here. I am still shaping something.

Journal Prompt:

What do your hands reach for when your heart is overwhelmed?

What kind of making helps you feel more like yourself again?

You’re invited to listen inward—and then, create from that place. Rewoven is a home for that kind of becoming.