I have always found embroidery incredibly therapeutic and have used the process several times in the past as a way of lifting myself out of depression. After ten years of battling this invisible illness on and off, paired with increasing levels of anxiety and paranoia from 2015 onwards, it was in early 2017 that I was finally able to accept I had a problem and needed professional help. Acknowledging my issues and beginning the long journey towards managing and living with mental illness is what lead me to get into embroidery in a BIG way.

When managing depression (I don’t like the word ‘suffering’), one thought many of people struggle with is a sense of worthlessness. When gasping for air, deep in that debilitating state of mind, learning to make imaginative and skilled objects with my own two hands reminded me I am worthy, even talented, and DO have something to offer the world. I found creating my own embroideries so helpful in aiding with my recovery that it lead me to open an Etsy shop in the second half of 2017. I now sell hand-stitched messages in embroidery hoops that I hope can be displayed in the home and act as mental health reminders and positive encouragements of wellbeing for others.

#stitchingformentalhealth perfectly sums up my philosophy and what I aim to achieve with @emilyrowanstudio. Through encouraging the process of craft as therapy, the next step I wish to take for my business is to use CBT techniques and the new ways of thinking I have adopted along the way to create supportive embroidery kits. The embroidery kits will not only act as a soothing and mindful activity but will hopefully provide the maker with a small sense of achievement - something that can be incredibly helpful but seemingly hard to find in times of low belief and self-worth. The stitching itself will make up affirming statements and the names of CBT techniques. Extended info about how to incorporate the named technique as a coping strategy in everyday situations will be included along with a list of further resources to enable the maker to conduct their own research. The kits will be available as a one off purchase or on a subscription basis.

The next step after that would be to run workshops to expand upon this therapeutic activity in person and hopefully encourage those who are suffering to meet and connect with others. There are so many people stuck on waiting lists to get help with their mental illness and many end up waiting months before being seen. I know from experience how lonely and disheartening this can be to both the person involved and the loved ones around them. As a wider population we are sadly still so ill-informed when it comes to mental health and as individuals we so often end up feeling helpless due to lacking the right information about how to help ourselves and those around us. While I can in no way, shape or form claim to act as an alternative to professional care, I hope the workshops and CBT embroidery kits can go some way in helping those who aren’t quite sure where to turn next - or simply act as a fun activity to embark on during recovery!

When I’m struggling I know that often enough it helps me to feel like I’m just doing something, and I have learnt through trial and error that being creative in ways however big or small can go miles in helping me get back on the right track. The most beneficial act I was able to do for myself during that often scary and uncertain year of recovery was to consume the accounts of others who had lived through and continue to manage mental illness. Whether that be through books, podcasts or instagram stories, I researched for myself various strategies that could make a difference to my day-to-day while I waited for doctors and therapists to help me figure out some of the bigger stuff. This is the information I want to pass on to others who are perhaps in an earlier stage of their diagnosis, or simply for anyone struggling with their thoughts and emotions from one day to the next. I wholeheartedly believe that craft and creativity is a brilliantly accessible means of expression that anyone and everyone can get involved in.