Comments on: Quilting to Heal After Divorce

By: Cathleen McCarthy

Cathleen McCarthy — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:38:01 +0000

How inspiring! I love the idea of working through emotional chaos this way – and the concept of quilt as metaphor. I guess Nancy’s divorce quilt is kind of a variation on the crazy quilt? I find freeform writing has a similar therapeutic effect. And there’s nothing like a bag of jewelry findings, beads, wire and a pair of pliers when you can’t sleep at night. Better than Ambien!

By: Frugal Kiwi

Frugal Kiwi — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:22:17 +0000

I love this story. As someone who has used crafts to heal on the road to recovery from a stroke, I can completely relate.

Actually, now that I remember back, I did a lot of origami when I was in the middle of my divorce. Hmmm.

By: Stephanie - Wasabimon

Stephanie - Wasabimon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:09:14 +0000

Nancy and Jen, thanks for this. I have so much trouble relaxing and being in the moment. I’ve tried crafting as a therapeutic activity, and it can work occasionally, but not always. I guess I’m still trying to find my own personal craft that will help me break through.

By: Karen Bannan

Karen Bannan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:07:18 +0000

I have to agree. Crafting is so relaxing because it lets you forget about everything except the task at hand. I scrapbooked away many, many hours while anxiously awaiting baby number one. I scrapbooked some more while waiting for baby number two. It gave me an outlet for all my excess energy.

Beautiful story, BTW. Thanks for sharing.

By: Nancy Monson

Nancy Monson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:34:58 +0000

Making the quil wasn’t a conscious process of healing…I only realized it was my “divorce quilt” after working on it for several months. I think we often do that, as you’ve all said–with cooking, biking, whatever. We need to go to a place where we can be still. For me, that is quilting–if I don’t get too type A about it. There are aspects of being creative and trying to make art that are counter-productive to healing. It you get too perfectionistic, if you compare your work to others’ work too much, if you just rush through it to finish rather than enjoying the process. These are lessons I have to teach myself over and over again so I can enjoy my quilt-making!

By: Barb

Barb — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:46:14 +0000

I love this and know I always feel better when I am dong something crafty…it’s about losing yourself in the project and having something to show for it at the end at the same time. I need to do more of that.

By: debbie

debbie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:31:47 +0000

What a lovely story. I’m not even remotely crafty, so during my own divorce I took cooking classes. At the time I thought it was just to keep myself busy, but perhaps there’s a healing metaphor in there somewhere…

By: Kristen J. Gough

Kristen J. Gough — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:44:10 +0000

Insightful, lovely essay–what more can I say than echo the other comments. Your thoughts reminded me of an poem (essay?) I read eons ago in some college comparative lit class–In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens. If I remember right, the gist of it was that the woman writing the poem could never understand why her mother spent all her time gardening until she realized it was her mother’s way of expressing herself in a medium she enjoyed–plants. Thanks for sharing,

By: Meredith Resnick - The Writer's [Inner] Journey

Meredith Resnick - The Writer's [Inner] Journey — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:32:06 +0000

Just beautiful – in quilt form and essay. What a wonderful way of translating experience. Thank you.

By: Almost Slowfood

Almost Slowfood — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:45:31 +0000

What a beautiful and insightful story!! Not many people would allow their inner feelings to influence their work, but then again, isn’t that what art is?? Lovely