6 ways on how making helped these makers
Since opening Mess Studio last year, we’ve been celebrating the mess that comes with making. We know creative pursuits can often get messy—oh the mistakes, the wrong choices, but also the persistence to continue and finish. It’s all part of it, including the joy and love that comes with being able to make something. As we’ve seen from many of our makers, there’s a lot of good that comes with it. From beating stress and boredom to enabling them achieve their goals, here’s a roundup of women makers who share how making has helped them.
Beat boredom
For artist, crafter, and entrepreneur Nica Cosio, her interest in arts and crafts was reignited when she became a new mom. She quit her job to dedicate her time to raising her kids, but she admits, in this previous interview, that there were moments when she felt bored. “I needed to do something.”
Revisiting making crafts again helped her beat boredom and have an outlet for her creativity. Journaling was one that resonated with her the most. It became her go-to activity on her down time.
Crafting is a great activity to engage in whenever boredom strikes. It engages your mind and imagination, and keeps your hands busy and working so there’s no time to get bored.
Reduce stress
Arts and crafts have also been known to alleviate stress. The concentration and repetitive motions you have to make when crafting can put you in a calming state. (Studies have shown that it helps lower cortisol levels, the hormone we release when we’re stressed.)
It certainly holds true for Pau Javier of Wabi Sabi studio. The pottery studio owner worked in a very stressful production job. “You put out a lot of fires every day. It’s very demanding, but very exciting as well. I loved every bit of it.” Still, she needed a way to destress. “Whenever I’m in the pottery studio, all the lists I had to go through, all the problems I had to conquer that day, [they] would all go away. At that moment when I'm on the potter’s wheel, it’s only that piece of clay and me.”
Capture moments and memories
Nica holds arts and crafts, particularly journaling, in the same space. It became her escape “when things got stressful at home or when I got too tired.” But journaling has also meant more than just relieving her stress. When she was a new mom and not journaling yet, there were many times she felt she wasn’t able to capture every moment with her kids. A first word, a funny remark. She admits that having regretted that has played a part in taking up journaling. “I don’t want to miss anything anymore.”
Journaling, scrapbooking, collage making—some arts and crafts can help you capture moments, events, and other things you want to remember in a tangible manner.
Bring people together
Making something doesn’t always have to be a solo endeavor. Arts and crafts is a great way to get people together, get them off their screens, and connect with each other in a fun and creative way. (Hey, it’s one of the reasons why we put up Mess Studio!) Whether it’s a simple DIY get-together at home or a creative family date in a studio, crafting with others gives opportunities for making connections in a fun setting.
What you create can also continue to bring people together. Jen Horn, co-creator of Ugnayan Cards, has always wanted to make conversation cards. Self-described as somebody who “likes to facilitate in general but also bring community together,” Jen teamed up with Kookie Santos, who designed the cards. For Jen and Kookie, making Ugnayan Cards helped them in their goal to “make meaningful connections with ourselves, others, and the world.”
Support your advocacy
When you have the opportunity to create, you can always choose to create for the causes you support. Kate Bellecer started the Offbeat Cat with her husband Herman not only to share Graffiti (one of her cats) with everyone by making stickers with his face on it, but it was also to support cat welfare projects.
It was something Kate has been doing for 10 years even before the Offbeat Cat. Eventually, the extra funds from her cat-centric brand helped to buy cat food to feed strays and help owners who can’t afford to have their cats neutered. While she has a full-time job, what she creates for the Offbeat Cat is something so personal to her. “I really need to be authentic and do something that really resonates with myself.”
Spread a message
What you believe in, what you value, you can hold space for it when you create. And what you create can communicate the issues you want to call attention to. This is what the makers behind Mako Micro-press believe is the only important thing in doing what they do: “[That] we were able to convey the message. If we can’t even use it or feel something from what we see or read, is it even worth it? What’s the point of creating them?”
Known for creating zines and protest art on their merch (stickers, prints, and accessories), Mako Micro-press spreads their message on issues affecting many Filipinos, from the climate crisis to labor issues. “It’s not about the skills. It’s about the mindset and the heart.” For them, if the message is unclear, it doesn’t matter if the illustration is beautifully done. Making protest art has helped Mako Micro-press to spread their message loud and clear.
Many different arts and crafts help makers in different ways. They can help you to express yourself in the most authentic way or to simply find a new way to have fun. Discover in what way it can help you when you yourself decide to try.