After the first weeks of fall semester, many students are chained to the rhythm of routinely meeting deadlines, making the library their second home, applying and working for internships or part-time jobs and planning post-grad life or attending random social endeavors. Time flies by without missing a beat, but also restricts moments to stop and breathe.
However, community members have found, developed and maintained various outlets to allow them to relax and dissociate from their hectic schedules, such as crafting objects.
Carol Fountain Nix, director of the NC State Crafts Center, discussed trends in crafting, noting a post-pandemic surge in creativity and creativity’s importance amongst a STEM workforce.
“I think we’re definitely in one of those periods now, especially post-pandemic, where the pendulum is swinging back in favor of looking at the heart of our psyches,” Nix said. “I say we as a center have broken registration records every single semester since the pandemic, the hunger for making and creativity is amazing.”
Nix ran an interactive media business for years at the forefront of technology. She is an avid user of technology, but understands its drawbacks.
“I think we’ve created a world where we don’t communicate, we have no patience, we can’t be entertained without the use of the device,” Nix said. “We rely upon external means rather than a sense of peace or confidence and satisfaction that can come from creative engagement.”
The majority of undergraduate students at NC State are part of STEM-related colleges, such as engineering or agriculture and life sciences, leaving crafting and other artistically-inclined activities considered second fiddle. Though hobbies aren’t always seen as necessary to succeed on and off campus, creativity is part of all disciplines and vital in our society.
“In a STEM environment, people think of crafts as soft skills,” Nix said. “But we really need to adopt and support the notion of craft as a basis for not only conceptual design, but the actual making and prototyping and testing that goes into every single invention, and the agency around doing that, the power, the self-government. We’re in the self-empowerment and healing business.”
With mental health a rising concern in recent years, many people have taken up crafting as a hobby for relief. One example is Crocheting for a Cause, a student-led organization on campus that aims to support mental health by promoting creativity and community.
The organization’s founder, Gabi Martin, a fourth-year studying applied education, started the club in 2022 to address the mental health crisis following the pandemic. Although Gabi doesn’t know how to crochet, she knits and believes her lack of skill makes new members feel more comfortable.
“Whenever I knit, I always found it as a mental health reliever, so I created the club with that regard to support mental health,” Martin said. “When we come to the club, most of us are not allowed to do homework. Everyone is there for the community and for the space to not talk about classes.”
During the spring semester, the club participated in Wolfstock by crocheting different flowers and leaves with community members. They’ve also made blanket squares for humanitarian organization The Lion Project and plan on selling stress balls during the upcoming exam season.
Olivia Lanza, the group’s vice president, became involved in crocheting during the pandemic.
“I think social media really was a big aspect of it, I started seeing TikToks and Instagram posts about it,” Lanza said. “Being locked in your house, what do you do? It was really amazing to see what people created online, and you can find free patterns or video tutorials, so it’s easy to get involved.”
Both students know how it feels to become consumed in busy schedules, as Martin also has an internship and Lanza works a part-time job.
“State pushes the academic portions like networking, applying for jobs, getting an internship and the idea that we need to do more, and it seems like I don’t even have time to do anything else,” Lanza said. “I think it’s important for people to have an outlet, especially a creative one that you can either use for yourself or others.”
Getting in touch with your creativity seems to be the common trend for artisans these days, allowing them to liberate themselves from their bustling lives and physically make things that bring them and the community satisfaction and confidence.
Crocheting for a Cause meets every Tuesday in SAS Hall, room 2106. They welcome all students from different backgrounds and host workshops for beginners. Follow their Instagram @ncsucfac for more information. NC State’s Crafts Center has many events, classes and workshops as well that can be found on their website.
