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
I love all of the crochet mandalas that come in for this project. Sometimes I think I like the thread mandalas best. Sometimes I like the floral ones. But today looking at this one I think maybe I like the rainbow crochet mandalas best. This one is worked with rainbow colors, from outside to inside.
The crochet pattern is Wink’s Picots and Petals mandala pattern. Maker Kathleen writes:
“I chose the bright colors of the rainbow because they inspired me to be hopeful and happy. I hope they do the same for others.”
Meet the Maker
This rainbow mandala comes to us from Kathleen Glaze, a critical care / burn nurse who sees a lot of depressing things in her work and uses crochet to stay sane. She says that she especially enjoys small projects like Wink’s mandala. She writes:
“I wanted to contribute to this project because I think it is important to bring awareness to mental illness, specifically depression, in order to decrease the stigma that surrounds it.
I’m sorry for Wink and her family. When I look at Wink’s work, I can see the beauty and joy that existed in her. She expressed it well.
Crochet for me is very meditative and cleansing. Working on this mandala was especially lovely. Wink’s design was simple and beautiful, and I was honored to complete the piece in her memory.
Words by Wink
Wink wrote about her Rainbow Nesting Baskets crochet pattern:
“In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a set of seven rainbow nesting baskets. These baskets are great for storage, but they’re also perfect for teaching your little ones about colour and shapes! They can keep themselves busy for hours as they discover how to fit all the baskets together.”
About Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression so each post ends with some facts, thoughts or quotes about depression, suicide and/or mental health. Today it seems appropriate to mention the book The Black Rainbow
Research has shown that writing poetry can help reduce depression. Perie J. Longo, PhD, writes in Poetry as Therapy:
“I have come to respect more and more the indefinable place from which the poem comes (which I like to call “The Secret Place”), the ability of each individual to travel to that source of creativity easily and naturally, and how much the poem has to teach us about ourselves and the world, as form and sound give rise to silence. One of the benefits of poetry reading and writing is not only does it help define the “I”, but strengthen it. This is necessary if we are to be a part of the world. The process attaches us to the greater part of ourselves, to all that is whole and good and beautiful. And when we feel ourselves as not alone in the world, but a part of and integrated with all that exists, self-esteem grows.”
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. Deadline is to have all mandalas into the mail no later than 10/15/15.