May 13, 2010

Stitch Therapy

I've always used cross stitch to express myself in a way that I've never been able to do before. I'm not what I would call an artistic person. I can't draw - in fact I can barely write legibly - but there is something about this medium that just works for me. Most of the time I use it to make jokes, but more recently I was grateful to use it in a more therapeutic way.



This is something Alexandra J Walters calls Self-Guided Art Therapy, and you can see all kinds of examples of it at her blog of the same name.

Mikhail Kalashnikov, full view

This is just one of the many amazing pieces Alexandra has shared there. Each one has meaning. Each one has its own story that work together to tell Alex's story, whether it is a military themed piece like the above, or an ode to and everyday object like the spoon below.



I could try to tell you more about her and what motivates her, but Penny Nickels recent interview with her is probably the best way to gain that insight.

If you have ever dabbled in self-guided art therapy and would like to share your work in a supportive environment, I definitely recommend checking out Alexandra's blog for details on how to submit a project. You'll be glad you did.

9 comments:

  1. I've always said that thrifting and crafting is cheaper than therapy. Now I find out that creating can actually BE therapeutic. Actually that would explain why women around the world feel so strongly about tiny little stitches.

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  2. You know how I feel about these pieces. ;) XOXOX

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  3. Thanks for posting. It's always nice to know you guys are out there.

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  4. She is an amazing artist, and it was really a pleasure to interview her.

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