This time around we’re chatting with Sam Reece, author of Shitty Craft Club: A Guide To Gluing Beads To Trash, Talking About Our Feelings, And Making Silly Things. 

Hi, Sam! If you could recommend one good thing everyone can do to benefit their mental health, what would it be?

This might come as a complete surprise since I wrote a book called Shitty Craft Club, but my one good thing everyone can do to improve their mental health is… shitty crafts. I know, I know! A shocking twist. The runner-up was: get a cat.

Both excellent suggestions. So why shitty crafts? 

For me, shitty crafts are a silly, low-stakes way to be creative and give my brain a much-needed break from my full-time job of overthinking every moment of my life. Shitty crafts help me work through my big three: anxiety, burnout and perfectionism.  

How can we start our shitty craft journey?

There are an infinite amount of shitty crafts, but here’s a good place to start:

• Choose a canvas! Search your home for something that looks like it needs a bunch of stuff glued to it – an old sweatshirt, a tissue box, a tote bag, a loose piece of cardboard – truly anything!
• Dig up your box of beads from that time six years ago when you swore making jewellery would be your thing. (We’ve all been there, it’s OK.)
• Hot glue a bunch of beads to that thing. Don’t think about the design or the outcome. Just glue. Glue until it looks done to you. Glue until you literally have to leave for dinner plans.
• Celebrate your gorgeous, perfect, stunning creation. Display it proudly somewhere in your home to remind you that making art isn’t about perfection or being the best – it’s about giving yourself the space to create without any pressure or looming expectations.

How will doing this benefit us, aside from a lovely new artwork?

Unbridled joy, unlocking new levels of creativity, connecting with your inner child, and having a good old-fashioned silly time.  

Are there any pitfalls of shitty crafts? And any way we can avoid them?

Glue gun burns. I’m sorry in advance. It’s highly likely that one (or more) of your fingers will experience this. The only way to avoid this 100% is to opt out of the hot glue gun life, which is totally fine. Paint pens, stickers and adhesive disco mirror tiles are all great (not hot) alternatives for shitty crafting.  

How do you personally do your One Good Thing?

Most days I like to hyperfixate on a shitty craft until it’s finished. For example, I’ve spent the past month shitty crafting a regulation-size basketball out of aluminium foil and beads, and I’m about to transition into shitty crafting a blank wood dresser in my studio. There are, of course, exceptions to this process – sometimes it’s just nice to draw or make a collage for fun.  

Finally, how has doing shitty crafts changed your life for the better?

Shitty crafts have helped calm my perfectionism in a big way. I can be a beginner at something and have a great time being bad at a new skill without criticising myself immediately. I find new ways to be creative every day. And I spend a lot of time reconnecting with my inner child, which has been very healing and joyful. Shitty crafts helped me find myself and, even better, love myself.

Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series home page to get started.

Images: Lizzie Darden