In this episode I talk to Michelle Bancroft, a textile designer and lover of all things felt, as she is the owner of Belly's Button.
Michelle and I chatted about her love of textiles and in particular the medium of felt, and how creative activities can help increase mental wellbeing. When we're able to fully immerse ourselves in a task, we can physically relax, feel good and recharge ourselves. Our brains really do need that "down time" from our everyday tasks, and we are capable of keeping our happy hormones boosted by taking part in interesting and enjoyable activities. Plus we may have something really wonderful to be proud of as a result! And similar to my previous conversations with artist Nicki Redgewell, and creative education specialist Kaytie Holdstock, Michelle and I talked about how satisfaction can really come from the process of being creative..... as well as the finished piece!
Michelle's felt creations.
We also chatted about how wonderful and enjoyable it will be when we can return to face-to-face activities such as group workshops, as Michelle really enjoys that aspect of her work, seeing how the participants inspire and motivate each other.
I asked Michelle for her top tip to help boost mental health it was to do with social media. Although we all use it and find it helpful sometimes, Michelle's advise is to limit our time, and also choose who we spend our time watching. It can be very unhelpful to draw comparisons with other people's lives, assuming all is fantastic in their world and seeing our own as negative.
If you or someone you know is struggling with negative thoughts, and would like to learn how to become more positive, hypnotherapy may be worth a try. It can help dial down the stress response, help encourage a positive focus, and help you cope better by being more relaxed and having better quality sleep. Contact me if you'd like to find out more.
Click here to watch the interview: https://fb.watch/5aITLxj0Tt/
Michelle's facebook page is here: Belly's Button