STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Many people think that one of these things is not like the others … but science has proven many times over that the Arts and creativity have a huge impact on the brain. Not only does it have cognitive benefits on left-brain development but more recently it has been shown that it helps to connect the two sides of the brain (Disconnected Kids ILL). Science has also shown that crafting can increase dopamine in the brain which boosts mood and is a natural anti-depressant (Dirty Genes 572.865 Lyn). At a time when the world is in turmoil and many of us are suffering the effects of chaos and loneliness, who wouldn’t want to get lost in the concrete realness of yarn in hand and the accomplishment of a handmade craft? Many people are turning to crafts, and if you haven’t yet there are some very good and solid reasons to consider it.
Of course, my crafts of choice are usually yarn or fiber arts such as knitting (First time knitting: the absolute beginner’s guide 746.432 Ham), crocheting (Crochet 101 746.434 Bur), macramé (Modern Macramé: 33 stylish projects for your handmade home 746.42 Kat) or embroidery (Tiny stitches: buttons, badges, patches, and pins to embroider 746.44 Yaz); but anything you can lose yourself in will benefit your health. I find a creative outlet in cooking too (The homemade kitchen: recipes for cooking with pleasure 641.5 Che) and gardening (Plant craft: 30 projects that add natural style to your home 635.9 Atk). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 I changed to a gluten free diet (100 classic gluten-free comfort food recipes 641.5 Was) and learned to bake and cook in a whole new way. I get engrossed in the chemistry and discovering what went wrong in a poorly produced loaf of bread, or how nuts or chocolate chips, will enhance a batch of cookies.
Many people, like myself, turn to Pinterest or Facebook or even Google for recipes, patterns or something as over-arching as their next big endeavor! Maybe yours is wood-burning (The art of woodburning: 30 useful & decorative projects 745.51 Aut), weaving (Welcome to weaving: the modern guide 746.14 Cam) or sewing (Torie Jayne’s stylish home sewing: over 35 sewing projects to make your home beautiful 646.21 Jay). Maybe you picked up gardening (like half the world!) last year and now you are considering what to do with your bountiful harvest! The Crawfordsville District Public Library has books for the beginning canner (or tanner) (Ball canning back to basics: a foolproof guide to canning jams, jellies, pickles, and more 641.42 Bal) all the way through the expert carpenter (Backyard treehouses: building plans, tips, and advice 690.89 Wri), quilter (Row quilts: longitudes & latitudes 746.46 Row) and knitter (Knit yourself calm: a creative path to managing stress 746.63 Row)! Come into the library or checkout our online catalog at www.cdpl.lib.in.us to find your next craft! Also, checkout our programming options on Facebook with the YarnWorks101 fiber arts group and many other crafting programs happening this fall!
If you have questions or need to find library materials about your craft interests, stop by our reference desk on the second floor at CDPL. You may also give us a call at 765-362-2242, ext. 117 or email us at ref@cdpl.lib.in.us.
Megan Noggle is a library assistant at the reference and local history department at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
