Crafting for wellbeing with Anna Campbell

Learn about the link between creativity and wellbeing with guest designer Anna Campbell.

Anna Campbell is a jewellery artist and teacher specialising in metal clay. Before changing career Anna worked as a psychology lecturer, teaching all areas of the subject including a course called ‘The Psychology of Creativity’. Here she discusses the importance of creativity to our wellbeing.

Finding the flow

“Creativity is a very human need. It is uniquely satisfying to make with your hands but it is something that society has moved away from in the last fifty years or so, in our work and home lives, so it’s all the more important to take opportunities to create.

“Research has shown there are many benefits of being creative, including to relieve stress ¬–  focussing on something outside everyday life can sometimes help give us a new perspective on a problem.

“Also, trying something new can help ensure that we increase our ability to focus – such a challenge in a world where we have instant access to distraction from our phones! [Psychologist] Csikszentmihalyi has researched flow – that feeling we get when we are focussed in the moment and our full attention is on the task at hand. He found that to be in flow we need a balance of challenge versus skill – we need to be challenged to learn something new but that challenge shouldn’t be too far out of our skillset. Hopefully the silver clay jewellery project that I have designed for WI members will do just that for you!

“The additional benefit of this project is that it encourages you to get outside in nature and get active. You will need to find a natural space to walk and be mindful of your environment in order to collect what you need. We will then use what we’ve collected to make a completely unique piece of silver jewellery.”

About Anna Campbell

Anna Campbell has taught silver clay since 2000, and currently teaches from her studio in Edinburgh, as well as at the London Jewellery School and the Mary Ward Centre. She is also a mentor and assessor on the LJS jewellery diploma programme and runs online classes through the Jewellers Academy, where she is the Community Manager.

Capturing nature in silver

Discover the magic of silver clay by creating your own jewellery inspired by nature.