A recent survey has revealed that painting is the most googled therapeutic craft in the UK. The research was carried out by creative resource and SVG provider Design Bundles, who analyzed the number of Google searches that 30 therapeutic crafts receive on average each month.
One in four people in the UK experiences mental health problems each year. However, a study by a mental health professional has shown that regular participation in creative activities reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as increasing levels of life satisfaction.
Art therapy can help people who suffer from mental health issues to physically work through difficult periods in a way that is productive. It’s helpful to have something fun to focus on as a way to de-stress.
On average, painting is googled 136,000 times every month, which is the largest quantity of online searches of the 30 therapeutic crafts that were analyzed in the study.
Top 10 most popular therapeutic crafts
Painting:
Painting is the only therapeutic craft that surpasses an average online search volume of 100,000 each month. Painting is one of the best ways of reducing stress through the relaxing motion of sweeping a brush across a canvas to create a unique final product. Handling a brush can also help to improve your motor skills, whilst choosing the colours and techniques that you use to apply them can help to improve problem-solving.
Drawing:
Drawing is the second most popular therapeutic craft in the UK. It is googled around 98,000 times every month in the UK, which is an estimated 38,000 fewer searches than painting. The creative process of drawing can help to reduce stress levels as it keeps your mind occupied whilst allowing you a creative outlet for your thoughts and feelings. Creating art and crafts in a safe space can help with self-expression, which in turn is a good way of reducing anxiety.
Photography:
The third most googled therapeutic craft is photography, with a search volume of around 66,000 every month. Research has shown that taking a photograph on a daily basis can help to improve your mental health. Taking up a new hobby such as photography is also a great way to meet new people, especially if you join a club or society.
Crocheting:
Many people struggle with their mental health through the winter months as the days get shorter and the weather becomes colder. However, crochet is one creative activity that you can enjoy in the evening whilst you are in the warm and watching TV. Crochet has proven to be the fourth most popular therapeutic craft in the UK with around 54,000 online searches each month.
Knitting:
Knitting, another activity that also involves yarn, was slightly less popular with a monthly average of around 24,000 Google searches. This is an estimated 30,000 fewer online searches each month than crochet and places knitting as the tenth most popular therapeutic craft.
Many people knit clothing items such as jumpers and gloves, as well as other items such as toys, blankets and bags. It can give crafters a real sense of achievement to see things that they have made around their home and it’s also common for crafters to gift their creations to friends and family members too.
Calligraphy:
Calligraphy involves creating visually pleasing letters and words, and it is googled an average of around 46,000 times every month, which is only 2,000 more searches than tie-dye. People wanting to take up calligraphy only require paper and pen to get started, which makes it seem an attractive craft.
This skill is often applied to greeting cards, as well as gift tags. Each letter is carefully formed using thick and thin pen strokes to form aesthetically pleasing words.
Tie-Dye:
There are so many ideas for ways you can use tie-dye. The retro craft is a good way to recycle old clothes or other fabrics to give them a new lease of life. You can use elastic bands to tie the material in different ways to create various pattern formations when the dye is applied.
Macrame:
Macrame, another popular craft from the 1970s, has also made it onto the list of most popular therapeutic crafts. This knot-tying artform receives an average of around 36,000 Google searches per month, which is around 100,000 fewer online searches than the most popular therapeutic craft. You can use the macrame technique to make items such as plant holders, wall hangings and jewelry.
Origami:
The ancient Japanese art of origami comes in eighth place, with an average of around 34,000 Google searches every month. Perhaps the most famous origami design is the paper crane, which is often used as a decorative table piece in Japan. As with most of these crafts, there are easier origami projects that are better suited to beginners, which progress to more complex and time consuming as you become more skilled.
Coloring:
Coloring received slightly fewer online searches than origami, with an average of around 30,000 searches per month. Adult coloring books have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, thanks to their ability to help with the meditative technique of mindfulness. Books come in a variety of styles and topics, from pop culture to geometric designs.
Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment to bring awareness to how you feel. The motion of physically coloring and choosing the colors for the designs can help to calm your mind and relax your body.
The table below shows the average volume of Google searches that each of the top ten therapeutic crafts receives each month in the UK.
Therapeutic craft: | Approximate average monthly searches per month (UK): |
Painting | 136,000 |
Drawing | 98,000 |
Photography | 66,000 |
Crochet | 54,000 |
Calligraphy | 46,000 |
Tie-Dye | 44,000 |
Macrame | 36,000 |
Origami | 34,000 |
Coloring | 30,000 |
Knitting | 24,000 |
A spokesperson for Design Bundles commented on the study and said: “792 million people are affected by mental health conditions worldwide, so it’s important that people know there are lots of different approaches they can take to help improve their mental wellbeing. These figures show that there is plenty of interest in crafts which also have therapeutic benefits, so hopefully we will continue to see activities such as painting, photography and calligraphy helping people manage their mental health.”