Pottery and jewellery-making have seen a rise in interest from adults looking for mindful escapism and improved wellbeing
Two local craft workshops, Peggy’s Pots and Jewellery Making Cardiff, have started to see a rise in adults taking their classes as a way of seeking mindful hobbies.
Jewellery teacher Jude de Berker said participants reported positive effects on their mental health and wellbeing after the crafting sessions. People have told me they have gone on the course and taken it up as a hobby and found it a good way of “de-stressing”, she said.
The connection between creativity and mental health has been consistently demonstrated in scientific research. In recent years, mental health and self-care have become important topics of discussion on social media such as TikTok, where many videos encourage users to start using colouring books or attending creative hobbies like pottery painting.
“To find release from work stresses. We always speak about art as a form of therapy,” said Lotte Howes, the public relations and marketing coordinator at Peggy’s Pots. De Berker agreed, noting that jewellery-making requires focus and attention to detail, which can help people relax and escape their daily worries.
“We see the biggest positive effects in our regulars. So many start out as individuals looking for stress relief and often end up bringing their entire family monthly or weekly”, added Howes. “It’s great to see, especially men, be able to find a creative outlet.”
Howes said the studio has seen a considerable increase in adult participants over the past few years, and part of that may be a trend among gen Z to move away from pub-based socialising.
She said: “Recently we have noticed an increase in university students looking for alcohol-free activities.”
De Berker said it is mostly adults that take part in her classes. “A lot of people find jewellery making a medicine because it needs quite a lot of attention”, she added.
Both interviewees felt that creative hobbies offered a form of therapy and relaxation.