Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a Sip & Sew embroidery workshop event with my old team. It's been 5 months since I left my corporate job to pursue my love of embroidery, it wasn't an easy decision but I was absolutely convinced that if embroidery had stolen my heart like it had I wouldn't be the only one! It was this that drove me to launch Sip & Sew, in order to spread the love of embroidery to others and the joys of craft far and wide.
So, it felt both apt and a little emotional that 5 months to the day I was back at 'work' with the familiar faces of the old team. It also made me reflect on how great it is that the corporate world is opening up to the benefits on mindful activities to enrich their teams mental health and well-being. Without giving away my age, when I started working in the corporate world, that was the furthest thing from people's mind and well-being meant a quick fag outside at lunch break! Now it is increasingly a fundamental part of the working environment and the world is a better place for it.
Productivity isn't just about the doing, a fundamental part of people reaching their best potential is ensuring they have time to relax and unwind. I'll be the first to admit I'm not very good at traditional meditation so when someone referred to craft as 'active meditation' recently it really struck a cord as that is exactly how I would categorize embroidery, an activity that engages but calms, that needs focus without thought.
Seeing my old team, in the place I used to work meant a good start to the month, a reflection on the move I made, the friends I made and the fact that embroidery can be enjoyed by all and in all environments, and what could be more 'productive' than that!