DO you consider yourself to be a creative person? You might be someone who regularly enjoys getting involved in crafts, writes psychotherapist and columnist Jody Merelle.

You might enjoy writing poetry or music, knitting, drawing or making things out of clay. Or you might not do any of these things. Chances are though that you are still creative in one way or another. 

Whether or not creativity and crafting are familiar concepts to you, you might like to think about how you could start to pay more attention to the natural creativity within you. 

It can be a very therapeutic thing to concentrate on making or drawing something. 

Doing something creative with our hands also stimulates different parts of the brain from the ones we use to think logically and solve problems. 

This can mean that by tuning into our creative sides we can also find alternative ways to process and resolve those things that might be bothering us.  

Last weekend I was on a trip to North Devon with a group from our church.  

Throughout the weekend a table piled high with different crafting materials was made available to everyone there. You could go and sit there at any time and use the resources in any way you chose. Small pieces of calico had been cut out and we were encouraged to decorate them in such a way that they could be displayed later. 

Some people were skilled at needlework and some were trying embroidery for the first time.

Others chose to paint, draw or stick things on to the calico squares. Interestingly, no matter how much or little crafting experience people had – they unanimously rated time at the table as one of the highlights of the weekend. 

In my view there were a few reasons for this. One was that by concentrating on a crafting activity it required us to stop and take a real pause from life and from any kind of screen time. 

Another was the chance to find a channel for self expression which many of us were not familiar with. 

Sitting round a table in the way we did also meant that there was time and space to talk to each other. We talked about all kinds of things including relationships, who we would most like to meet (alive or dead), holidays we had (or had not) enjoyed and even what we would do if we were suddenly to become invisible!  

The topics didn’t even really matter – it was just a chance to connect with each other in a way for which there normally isn’t enough time. 

Another sense I got from that session was of being completely unrushed – in total contrast to my normal working week. There was also a sense of being accepted and not judged. 

Everyone’s efforts at crafting were equally valued and appreciated no matter how much skill or expertise they showed. 

During that evening I had the very strong wish that there were more moments like this in life – where people were able to make genuine and authentic connections with each other, feel accepted rather than judged, not be distracted by screen time and have the time to enjoy being creative for more than just a fleeting moment.  

In this way, what was on the face of it a simply activity became a profound one. 

As the evening drew to a close we resolved to set up more moments like these. 

The ingredients would simply be a table, some crafting materials, good company and a little bit of time. 

The outcome, however, at least on this occasion, was much more than the sum of its parts. Thank you to Lizzie and Chris who set up this opportunity for us in the first place. 

Thank you also for reminding us all that often what is needed is not complicated at all – just a little bit of time and space to be creative, connect with others and tune out momentarily from the stresses and strains of everyday life.