CREATIVE KINDNESS: CREATIVITY TO HELP OUR MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE LIVE IN

Source: Creative Kindness

What is Creative Kindness?

Creative Kindness is a Coventry-based charity, that seeks to give back to the community, as well as be an outlet for people who may be struggling with mental health issues.

It is a collection of craft groups, and yet it is also so much more!

It is a lifeline, to people who might otherwise have remained isolated in their homes; offering them a safe and welcoming environment- in which they can explore their creativity.

The groups are free for any age group to access, and are run by leaders who are compassionate and caring individuals.

Creative Kindness even provides free tea, coffee, and biscuits- and a much-welcome warm space.

What sort of crafts does Creative Kindness do?

Each week Creative Kindness has a different craft, for group members to try. This can be anything from creating Chinese Crackers, for the Chinese New Year, to making bookmarks with inspirational quotes on them.

Examples of past crafts the groups have done:

Source: Bookmarks @ Creative Kindness

Source: Coaster art @ Creative Kindness

The benefits of Creative Kindness

There are many benefits to be derived from belonging to groups such as Creative Kindness. As Bkkhedidja mentioned in her article entitled ‘The benefits of art therapy‘- creativity can be used as:

… an expression of oneself, of one’s feelings, emotions, and sensations

In addition, groups such as Creative Kindness can help with the following:

• Reducing isolation
• Mental health
• Confidence building
• Inclusivity
• Giving back to the community

Reducing isolation

Creative Kindness was set up to create a space for people to meet others. Thus helping to alleviate the isolation that some people feel. The group was originally set up just prior to the start of the pandemic, however, if anything, it now holds a greater purpose in the wake of pandemic lockdowns.

Mental Health

Art/ craft therapy is something that can help reduce the many symptoms associated with mental health issues; such as stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The safe and welcoming environment, that all the Creative Kindness groups offer, helps in reducing these symptoms.

Creativity in itself is well known for tapping into a different part of our brains, which has a calming effect on us.

Confidence building

Many of the people who come along, to the Creative Kindness groups, are people who may have some experience in crafting, but who seek to learn new skills. The groups offer a great opportunity in this respect. However, group members are free to engage as much as they feel able to, in an unpressured environment.

The Creative Kindness FaceBook page allows members’ creations to be showcased, which may boost the confidence of those members.

Inclusivity

Creative Kindness is accessible to anyone, making it a very inclusive organisation. There are no age restrictions, and people from all parts of these communities are able to come along to enjoy crafting together. There is a real family feel to the groups, which encourages people to keep coming back.

Giving back to the community

As well as being an organisation that promotes positive well-being, it is also committed to giving back to the communities it operates in.

Group members are encouraged to add inspirational quotes to the crafts that they produce, and then to give their creations to someone else. The idea is to pass on the love, to show that you care, and to help others who might appreciate being thought about. Because you never know what others may be going through, and random acts of kindness, like this, could quite possibly be what somebody needs.

Final thoughts

The following poem, created for Creative Kindness- sums up the organisation and its aims and intentions:

Creating & giving

Random acts of kindness

Each which speaks of unique

Acts of love

Taking & sharing our

Ideas so powerful, to

Voice our emotions in

Each & every way.

Kindness that

Inspires joy to

Navigate us through each

Day as it comes

Nurturing us all

Each & everyone, into

Sharing & giving our

Shining examples of community love.

Source: Karen Burns

Creative Kindness is a lifesaver!

It has at its heart individuals and communities. Something that is much needed in a society that can seem scary at times. It creates a safe, warm, and welcoming space. Hopefully this organisation is able to spread to other communities, so that they can benefit from the community love too. This is a concept that could benefit people in the length and breadth of Britain (and beyond).