Yarn Bomber Combats Anxiety & Depression | Mental Health Recovery Story

For Nicole Nikolich, who has wrestled with #anxiety and #depression throughout her life, #crocheting has been an essential part of positive mental health and wellness.
At a particularly low period in her life, Nicole found herself at a loss for how to quiet the racing thoughts in her mind. She remembers clearly the day she stumbled upon a television news report about #YarnBombing, and everything kind of clicked. Her path was revealed. She picked up a crochet needle, taught herself how to crochet (credit due to TH-cam University), and hasn’t put down the #crochet needle ever since.
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What became a necessary tactic for survival has transformed into a career in full bloom and living color. In addition to creating striking works that fill our streets with beauty, life, humor and thoughtful messages about hope, mental health and change, Nicole teaches, takes on commissions, and dreams of other wonderful uses for crochet that are far, far away from your grandmother’s afghans or your sister’s ponchos!
And while we benefit as viewers of her work, she benefits from the very process of #creating.
“My mind is constantly racing with thoughts, not always negative, but just thoughts constantly. I’ve tried #meditating before and I really enjoy that, but I find it hard harder to get in the zone with meditating for long periods of time.
“With crochet, it is a lot of counting, repetition, numbers. You have to actually #focus, and you’re moving your hands. While my mind still does wander, if I find it wandering, I can literally come back to counting, and so I’ll just count ‘one, two, three,’ and this cycle kind of continues over and over again, and you can be just like counting, counting. While it sounds maybe a little bit boring, for someone like me when my mind is never stopping, it is like a little bit like a moment of clarity.”
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📝 Learn more about Nicole's story here:
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Her passion for crochet has evolved into a force for #artistic and #political expression. Nicole is a self-confessed "craftivist” who uses her art form to promote issues about equality, #LGBTQ issues and support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. She is a proud member of the vibrant #Philadelphia street art community, and has found support by her #craftivist colleagues.
“In Philadelphia, the streets are like an outdoor museum if you really stop and take the time and look around,” she says.
Nicole finds joy in her work, crocheting her creations privately at home and then enjoying time with the public on installation day. She also has a great laugh and a terrific sense of humor. And she can crochet anywhere!
“Crocheting has absolutely been successful in just calming me down, bringing me back to the present moment. It’s my work practice, it’s my #spiritual practice, it’s my medication. It’s like all of these things in one that you wouldn’t think when you just see some #yarn, which is really cool.”
We’re so happy to share this colorful film and that you can “be in the moment” with Nicole as she creates and beautifies our world.
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[@motorcycletherapist3123]

Love Nicole's story. I also search for creative ways to calm my mind. I learned out to use Cricut, how to sew, how to be a motovlogger on TH-cam! My dream, similar to Nicole, is to use that creative outlet to make the world a better place; to fight stigma; and provoke mental health conversations! Thank you for being brave and being you

[@OC87RD]

That sounds wonderful. All the best on your journey!

[@creative2716]

Yes, fun ways to be happy! Love it.

[@creative2716]

Yay, Nicole! I love that you are doing this. ❤💕♥ I crochet Grandma stuff but also fun stuff and Random Acts of Kindness stuff and things to donate to charity stuff. I support you in your quest to overcome anxiety by crafting, I do same. Keep it up, girl! I have never tried yarn bombing, it looks fun! 🧶🤗

[@OC87RD]

Wonderful to know that you too are a crocheter! Happy to have you in our community.

[@sigalbohbot5800]

עבודות יפות.

[@jodybradley765]

How do you get it to stick to the wall?

[@jodybradley765]

And are you still doing it?