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.
Contributions should be postmarked by October 15, 2015. Learn more here. If you absolutely can’t meet that deadline but want to participate, please email me at kathryn.vercillo (gmail).
Beautiful Crochet Mandala
I absolutely love the bright neon pink of this crochet mandala, softened just slightly by the dark center and white rounds. I also really love the border, where each edging piece overlaps with the ones next to it. It’s made using Wink’s Tuts+ crochet mandala free pattern.
Meet the Maker
This brilliant crochet mandala comes from Ana, “a 41-year-old crochet designer from Lisbon, Portugal” who says, “I’m a mother and wife, and I work from home.” She adds on Etsy that she crochets while her kids are at school and that she originally learned the craft (as well as knitting) from her grandmothers although only got addicted to it in recent years. She shared:
“My name is Ana Carrilho, and I’m currently the Senior Content Curator of The Crocheters Anonymous pages on Facebook. I also have my own Facebook page called Ana’s Knits and Pieces.
Here’s some more about Crocheters Anonymous from the FB page:
“Initially a single humor page, Crocheters Anonymous© now serves as a series of galleries relevant to crochet, fiber, and textile art. Its membership as of August, 2014 spans over 20 countries worldwide. Crocheters Anonymous© is also about inspiring artists, crafters, and art lovers through sharing unique works from artists worldwide and often exploring the ever-changing edges of crochet, fiber, and textile arts.”
Ana went on to say:
Wink’s work touches me profoundly, because of her profuse use of bright colors, joyous designs and artful techniques. Her apparently simple designs made you strive to learn quite a diverse range of crochet techniques, some of which were not that simple. Her tutorials were brilliantly comprehensive, with a clever and very well thought-out use of photos.
And then she added some spot-on thoughts about depression that really resonated with me:
Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. For two years, I wallowed in darkness, unable to keep at bay the pain, the despair, the emptiness, the hopelessness. I tried to take my own life twice. I failed. Thankfully, I failed.
This is where my story is like so many others Kathryn has told. Crafting saved my life, first with embroidery, and then with crochet. That would turn into this everlasting, lifelong passion. It is still what helps me through the dark days, when the monster peeks around the corner, trying to take over my life again.
Because this monster, this illness, never goes away, not really. We battle and struggle everyday to keep it at bay. And we sometimes get very tired. So utterly and deeply tired.
It’s the fatigue, the wearing down of the fight, that eventually can kill us. We still love our family and friends, somedays we might even produce something of worth in the midst of our exhaustion. And sometimes we can’t take it anymore, the relentless assault on our mind and emotions.
So, I am so sorry, Wink, that the tiredness got to you. The world is poorer and darker without you. But I will give the best I can to keep your legacy and our common passion for crochet alive.”
Words by Wink
In addition to crochet, Marinke used drawing to help her combat depression. She wrote:
“When I feel down, I draw. And when I draw, I feel less down.”
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, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day, “with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.”
This year’s theme is Dignity in Mental Health. The World Health Organization writes:
“Thousands of people with mental health conditions around the world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only discriminated against, stigmatised and marginalised but are also subject to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations.”
Other themes in recent years have been schizophrenia, mental health in older adults, and depression as a global crisis. One of the depression awareness pieces in the last one of those was working towards:
“Accepting Who You Are and that everybody lives differently; this can contribute a positive sense of wellbeing.”
All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are so appreciated. They help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today.
Beautiful post, Kathryn. Thank you.
Beautiful creations thank you for sharing, mine is in the post x