Here is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution. You are invited to join; learn more here.
Beautiful Crochet Mandala Cushions!
I was so excited to open this package and discover not only a terrific mandala but three additional mandala pillows. These will be great cushions for the section of the Mandalas for Marinke art show where I hope to be able to provide a sitting space for people who wish to craft at the event.
Crafter Alice shared:
“The pattern for the pillows was designed by Cylinda Matthews for the CAL Sea-Foam Mandala Pillow. The other mandala pattern was modified from a pattern posted by Olavas Verden of Norway, taken from an old potholder book published by Solberg Yarn Company of Norway, which is no longer in business.”
Alice created two of the mandalas (the solo and one pillow) in white, red, yellow, green and blue, and she shared the Buddhist color symbolism information about them, which she sourced from this article by Nitin Kumar.
Meet the Maker
This colorful, cozy contribution comes from Alice C. Dolamore, PhD. She writes:
“I am a retired Psychologist. While I have not had any personal experiences with mental health/ depression/ suicide, I worked in the mental health field for many years. I had several clients commit suicide during my tenure.
Depression cannot withstand activity so the more activity and concentration expended to read patterns, follow directions, and create something beautiful from a hook and yarn, the more fulfilling and better your self-concept and self-esteem becomes.
She adds:
“I only became aware of Wink a few days ago. I was taking part in the CAL in Ravelry of the Sea-Foam Mandala pillow. As I was waiting for the next instruction, I began to search the web to find additional patterns for mandalas when I came across Wink’s patterns. When I went to her blog, I was shocked to read of her passing. I am contributing three of the Sea Foam Mandala Pillows, as well as a mandala that I was making when I heard about Wink. It gave me great pleasure to make them. My wish for those that will receive them is that they will find them uplifting and enjoyable.
I want Wink’s family to know that I have several of her patterns that I plan to make. Her patterns seemed so happy, bright and cheery and I will remember her in that way as I work through the patterns.”
Words by Wink
In November 2013, Wink shared a “what’s in my bag” post and we learned a few things about her including that she always carried a water bottle, saying, “I never leave home without it (water bottle). Especially when I travel by train and it’s crowded; drinking water is my way to stay sane.” She also always carried multiple notebooks and typically had “my phone, my headphones (when I’m not wearing them) and my keys. On colder days I usually carry some wristwarmers or gloves as well. And on most days my camera is in there too.”
About Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression so each post will end with some facts, thoughts or quotes about depression, suicide and/or mental health.
Today I want to point you to Deanne Zandt’s great comic essay called Meditation vs. Medication: A Comic Essay on Facing Depression. It illustrates a lot of really great points about depression, what it is and how it can feel. So much of what is written here really resonates with me, particularly the beginning part:
And it goes on from there to describe how there’s this tendency with depression to think that if we try harder we’ll get better, which is sometimes true, but sometimes not true and can even be a self-damaging thought. It goes on to discuss medication and how it should be considered a valid choice, even if it’s not the choice for you at any given time, rather than a failure on the part of the person with depression. I strongly recommend this read.
All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are welcome and will help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today. Details to join here.
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