This pretty floral crochet mandala comes to us from the blogger at The Grange Range. She says, “I am a mother of four grown children so I now have the luxury of time in which I can indulge my creative self. I like exploring woolly projects in the evening and at weekends, and I love to knit and crochet.”
For the project, she writes,
“Wink’s work was so bright and colorful. I enjoyed doing the blanket CAL in 2014 and felt that I was just getting to know her so I wanted to join in which this great tribute. I have seen depression within our family and have seen how destructive it can be, and if making a Mandala can raise awareness and promote greater understanding then I am delighted to contribute.”
On her own blog, she adds,
“Wink was such a talent and an inspiration to so many of us, her blog called A Creative Being has such an apt title, it is brimming with gorgeous projects, even if you are not a crafter you are sure to be impressed by the colourful creations. It was a pleasure to pick up on this opportunity to show some hooky respect and pay tribute using one of Wink’s Mandala designs.”
She used the yarn leftover from her CAL blanket to make the mandala.
Prince’s death was reported today. I’ve already written about grief when celebrities die and how a death like this can cause devastation among fans, possibly even being a risk factor for depression in some people. Be sure to take good care of yourself if you were a fan that is feeling particularly rocked by the news.
I was curious about whether Prince had struggled with any depression in his own life. A CityPages article with facts about Prince says, “Prince said he used to get physically ill from depression during the “Dirty Mind” era.” A 2010 Daily Mail article chronicles a series of tragedies that he endured, saying, “Prince grappled with depression and something approaching a midlife crisis.” Looper explains that the CityPages fact comes from a Rolling Stone article and elaborates:
“Later on in his interview with Rolling Stone, Prince revealed he fell into a deep depression during what he called his “Dirty Mind period,” referencing his third studio album. “I would go into fits of depression and get physically ill,” he admitted. “I would have to call people to help me get out of it. I don’t do that anymore.”
He said his depression stemmed from various factors. “A lot had to do with the band’s situation, the fact that I couldn’t make people in the band understand how great we could all be together if we all played our part,” he said. “A lot also had to do with being in love with someone and not getting any love back. And there was the fact that I didn’t talk much with my father and sister.”
Sadly, I also learned today that an ex-girlfriend of his, Vanity, also died this year from a medical issue … but previously had written a memoir that shares, in part, her own history of depression.
This post is part of the Mandalas for Marinke remembrance project.