There are many reasons why I started making jewelry, but the most prominent is that this is my Creative Hobbies during the global pandemic. As a military wife, a mother of two children under 5, and a community activist, I feel exhausted.

Even before the word “coronavirus” became ubiquitous in our news cycle. Then came COVID-19. As we all know, this epidemic has brought more pressure to many of us who are already struggling with mental health problems, especially mothers.

I started to feel anxious and depressed. I benefited from treatment, but 50 minutes once a week is not enough. The voice in my head and on the Internet, haha. Said hobbies can provide the necessary distractions and help me regain my sense of autonomy.

 I like the relief I feel when gardening, but it requires patience that I don’t have. He needs something less passive. I began to notice waist beads, a design with centuries of spiritual significance in many African cultural traditions.

On my birthday, I accepted the cliche of “new year, new you” and started to create my own for what. I hope to be my “yellow year”-a color that symbolizes energy and joy Beadwork.

I will not lie and say that I expected that I could solve all my problems with beads and wires. But he is optimistic that he can do some beautiful things in the process.

Creative Hobbies Can Help You Regain a Sense of Control

Before dealing with waist beads, it is necessary for me to try something simpler: bracelets. When I made my first piece, I was immediately attracted by the potential to produce various jewelry.

Before letting my anxiety stop me from trying. Beads and wires helped me reflect on the importance of sticking to the plan.

 I like that these beads are not only beautiful; they have enough colors to reflect the complexity of the ambivalence I feel on a certain day. There is no need to escape sadness; I will use it for inspiration.

Even though I feel uncertain when anxiety emerges unexpectedly, mixing different shades of mud and weird colors helps me establish a connection with myself. The focus needed to bend and shape the cable on my tools and fingers gave me a sense of control.

When designing, I trust my judgment in a way that I cannot do in other situations. I learned that I can do things my way because I don’t have the patience to follow online tutorials.

 His works are usually inspired by other things, but in the end, they are unique freestyles. I am used to making necklaces or necklaces before online meetings or presentations.

 Knowing that I have created something that is meaningful to me reminds me of that. I can show me for myself and others.

It is more satisfying to share the finished work with the one I love. I think I can convey my emotions to them in a way that I cannot express in words through the works I made.

Research on Creativity Highlights a Pandemic Boost

Initial discussions on the mental health challenges of the pandemic emphasized how to maintain productivity amid so much uncertainty. We have only recently begun to explore the role of creativity, especially as a buffer for emotional turbulence.

In the article “Creating Meaning Through Creativity During COVID-19” published in Frontiers in Psychology in December 2020. Researchers described creative hobbies as “adaptability and resilience to continued epidemics” reaction”.

They said that the new forms of creativity include professional artists offering online courses to help parents interact with their children during confinement. The layman turns to create art to seek comfort and understand the ongoing crisis.

 The researchers also described a mental state that psychologists call “flow”. They wrote: “This feeling of being immersed in creative things and often forgetting time and environment can be very happy. Living a life full of fun is a way to increase importance.

According to the online design platform Canvas, 2,000 people. A survey of Americans’ personal creativity revealed that this number has soared as Americans seek new ways to find satisfaction during the pandemic.

The survey, released in December 2020, found that since the arrival of COVID-19. About half of the respondents have either cultivated new creative hobbies or regained their old hobbies.

The survey also identified the most common creative hobbies in 2020. Trying new recipes in the kitchen topped the list (37%), followed by gardening (28%), painting (20%), photography (20%), and drawing (19%).

Creativity Can Become a Business

In particular, the survey found that nearly 30% of respondents used their creative efforts to start a new sideline. Looking for a way to alleviate the financial anxiety that accompanies work insecurity during the pandemic.

For Miami dancer and fiber artist Harmony Jackson. The pandemic has brought new opportunities for creativity, business growth, and the integration of the two.

 Jackson used his experience in dance and Pilates to launch an enhanced online program for people who want to improve their core strength. She has also developed an e-manual for her Honey Factory crochet bikini boutique so that others can access her designs.

Why It’s Important to Make Creativity Accessible to All

As a black woman living in a marginalized identity network, I know that I am fortunate to have a stable and creative space. Despite the pressure I am facing, my life has a certain degree of flexibility (and funds for leisure), which many other people with mental health problems, especially their parents do not have.

Estefania Alvarez-Zumarraga, artistic expression expert and mental health expert, member of the St. Paul, Minnesota Counseling and Therapeutic Group, points out that there are many obstacles to historically restricting (and often robbing) the creative pursuit of blacks, Hispanics, and other underserved people.

Typically, underserved communities living in low-investment communities are still struggling to maintain their basic needs, and therefore have fewer resources to invest in creative opportunities,” Alvarez-Zumarraga said. Groups such as Consultation Art and the Network of Black Art Therapists are working hard to increase visits.

As a personal project during the pandemic era, Alvarez-Zumálaga set up a mini gallery in his front yard, where he organized small free art exhibitions.

Visitors can take a piece of art home, contribute their own work, or just watch it. “Through my project, I experience the joy of providing a Zen experience for my community,” Alvarez-Zumarraga said.

It arouses the smile of my neighbor, and it also gives people time to stop and reflect or prioritize their own righteous thoughts. Even if it is only a moment, it may be good for the day.

How to Get Started With a New Creative Pastime

Álvarez-Zumarraga said that people who want to use creative hobbies to combat stress should start small and try various methods.

Try painting with paper and watercolor for an hour, another hour for taking pictures (or even just using a mobile phone), and another hour for molding with a small amount of clay,” he suggested. “Consider keeping a diary in the process to keep track of how you feel and how your emotions have changed or haven’t changed.

She said that people should see which methods work for them and gradually increase the time they spend.

Creativity beyond the pandemic It has been about a year since I started using jewelry-making as a response tool. During that time, I have completed about 40 works.

When I am making work for a new project or looking for the best materials, I am learning to explore who I am and practicing happy, autonomous creation in a world obsessed with productivity.

Sometimes I’m afraid ‘I’ll give up this hobby, just like I give up other people at other times in my life; when the pressure of sticking to the self-imposed workaholic schedule itself becomes a source of minor stress. But I thought about the feeling of holding a new masterpiece.

It reminded me of all the beauty in the world and made me feel very capable. Whether I end up making jewelry once a week or once every six months, I know that this hobby is important to my mental health even after the COVID-19 crisis is over.