Why does crafting feel so good? In her latest book, Psychologist and craft teacher Anne Kirketerp presents evidence that we love to craft because it meets basic psychological needs ingrained within us.
Craft makes us feel safe - warm, dry, fed
Throughout human evolution, our primary focus has been on survival. We are hard-wired to seek out warm, dry shelter and food. So much of our survival has depended on what we can do with our hands: building shelter, making clothing, hunting, gathering food, tending fires and preparing meals. It makes sense that the nerves in our hands activate large parts of our brains. It is only in very recent history that we have had leisure time where we are not also doing things with our hands. The reward system in our brains encourages survival. It is why being warm, dry and fed makes us feel so contented. But in the modern world, an abundance of ready-made food and labor-saving devices has created a mismatch between how we live and the reward systems in our brains. Using our hands to craft engages those systems and it feels good.
For millions of years there has been extremely limited time to sit alone and be inactive “doing nothing” much less pondering life - without simultaneously doing something else like making all food from scratch, keeping the fire alive or repairing clothes and tools. Doing craft feels good because our brains associated doing something with our hands with our core survival instincts to be warm, dry and fed.
Handmade means more
The act of making with our hands lights us up with positive associations that echo down the generations. It is part of the reason we derive so much meaning from making and so much pleasure from using hand made items. Culturally we place a premium on items that have been handcrafted because it relates to the skills we have used for centuries to survive. It is the ultimate expression of someone caring about our wellbeing.
Craft activates helpful networks in your brain
Conversely, when we sit and do nothing and only have our own thoughts for company the brain activates the strategic part of the brain that uses our previous experiences to prevent bad things from happening to us. It becomes problematic if negative thoughts take over and we start to catastrophize, imagining all the bad things that could happen.
Too much self-reflection with an active DMN [Default Mode Network] is one of the explanations for why many people experience anxiety, stress and depression.
Using our hands and getting absorbed in a craft project helps us switch neural networks. It gives us a rest from catastrophic thinking which is one reason why it can be so soothing especially if we are experiencing stress and anxiety.
Reflecting on the research from Dr Kirketerp and others it is clear that craft taps into our core psychology. It gives us the scientific rationale of why craft is restful and why it creates a sense of stability and safety. It explains from a neurological and psychological perspective why we love to knit cosy scarves and sweaters and cook warming recipes. If you would like to read more about the psychology of why we craft you can purchase a copy of Dr Anne Kirketerp book here.
