Psychedelics, Mushrooms, and Crochet

Ways we Find Flow, Connect Inward, and Feel a Sense of Broader Connection

Below are some photos of my latest crochet projects…

Amanita muscaria mushrooms at various stages of growth.

As I reflect on my process, I notice that I crochet more when I am trying to get more done with my writing.

Yet, I hesitate to call this procrastination. It is more of a companion to my writing.

I remember a friend who painted his dining room while finishing his dissertation. He didn’t mind that the dark color took several coats, he welcomed the manual task after the time at the computer writing.

Each Christmas, I unwrap the collection of origami shapes I created while writing my final paper for graduate school. The draft had to be submitted by the start of classes in January so I wrote over the winter break, keeping small colorful papers on the desk beside me and folding the precise interlocking shapes when I needed a pause.

It seems there is a way that working with our hands is a necessary compliment to writing.

Two years ago, I participated in the Kickstarter Make 100 project, crocheting over 100 octopuses and arranging them in color wheels. I am grateful to all who supported the project, and provided new homes to my cephalopod creations.

When that project wrapped up, I gathered my yarn collection, collected crochet hooks from around the house and stored everything in a closet. I was ready to get to work writing.

It’s nice to have most of my crochet supplies in one place, and yet, they haven’t remained in the closet. I’ve created a number of critters and most recently some toadstools.

These become creative companions for a while and leave my home to become gifts to friends and family. I related to

Rebecca Armstrong

’s post last month about her own crochet practice and how it accompanies her studies and work as an art student. I particularly related to her naming that exclusion of crochet from her art practice is not about a hierarchy of craft being lesser than art. It is due to the preciousness of the activity and what it offers her.

It’s because it’s so precious - I need this as a tool for when I’m not working. This is my medicine and my meditation, my acceptable addiction.

-Rebecca Armstrong Slugs not Drugs (see post for her adorable crocheted slugs)

Around the same time I read Rebecca’s post, I also found a wonderful story told by Ram Daas. He describes a woman who attended one of his early lectures and was very different from most of his familiar followers in the crowd. She was older, dressed differently, and stood out seated up front. As he spoke, he noticed this woman continually nodding her head in agreement. He was speaking about his experience of spiritual awakening and the role of psychedelics in this process.

Because this unlikely audience member seemed so enthusiastic for what he said, he experimented with telling a few of his more outrageous stories, noticing she stayed right with him all along.

At the end of the talk, he sought her out, asking how she had come to find her own spiritual awakening and sense of vastness and connection. She leaned in as if to share a secret and said, “I crochet.”

I wrote a couple weeks ago about feeling bogged down with words and needing a break to just play with creativity. I shared some of the sun prints that allowed me to step into a more playful and experimental space.

Before I sent the email, my spouse read it and asked, did this bring me back to writing? Did I want to include that part in the story?

I considered adding a line or two about connecting back to writing. And then I reconsidered. Reconnecting with my creativity in a more playful way did serve my writing AND it served my soul, my relationships, my sense of self.

Crochet is the same way. I love the excuse it gives me to look for new patterns when I know a friend has a favorite animal and I want to gift them a crocheted companion. Sometimes, I find something that looks fun to crochet, and it is only later that I find the perfect recipient or role for these creations. Each of my family members has a crochet companion or two in their car at the moment.

“Truck Duck” riding in the pickup truck and Octopus and Puffin snuggled in the station wagon console.

The toad stools are serving as a tea table for a couple frogs. Frogs that originally reminded me of the beloved Frog and Toad are Friends have recently also received new accessories inspired by The Little Frog’s Guide to Self Care.

And readers, I would love to hear from you. Do you have practices that ground you and offer a gateway into a flow state, a chance to feel outside time and fully present to what you are doing?

Thank you for being a part of creative community through this newsletter.

With a grateful heart,

Kathryn

P.S.

Amanita muscaria crochet patterns can be found here and here.

Instructions for modular origami cube and octahedron can be found here.

Frog pattern can be purchased here and Pigeon pattern is here.

More sweet Williams in bloom; I love how they make little bouquets.