Dear Creative Soul August 2025
Yesterday, I opened my Instagram and noticed a post where Jutta, one of the talented Finnish
crocheters I follow was introducing herself, sharing about how she learned to crochet and how
she came to love it so much. At the end of her post, she wrote, "This post was inspired by a
very brave Instagram friend, sjcragwickdesigns". That's me!
At first, I looked at her post thinking: "How did I inspire you? I haven't done one of those intro
posts in quite awhile".
I thanked her, of course. She responded by thanking me for giving her courage and said how
she loves that my posts are thought provoking and promote discussion. It really made my day.
You can follow Jutta on Instagram @koukkuunkoukussa. She makes really pretty, bright
colored, vibrant designs.
I've noticed that some other crocheters on Instagram and other social media seem to post
mainly about their crochet projects, what yarn and stitches they're using, etc. If this is what
brings these creators joy, I absolutely support them. I enjoy reading their posts and often writing
encouraging comments.
My content is a bit different. I don't honestly enjoy talking about typical crochet details: yarn,
materials, stitches, and so on. It feels weird and unnatural to me.
I show what I make, promote my inventory and custom made products, but instead of writing
mainly about crocheting, I write more about feminism, women's rights, advocating for survivors
of abuse, navigating perfectionist anxiety, and about other subjects that I find meaningful.
When I crochet scrunchies, hair clips, or other items, I feel that I'm not just creating something
beautiful. I'm creating a symbol of power, advocacy, strength, and hope. I want the people
wearing and using my products and engaging with my content whether on social media or my
website to feel confident, to know that they deserve respect, that they deserve to be listened to,
that in terms of sexuality, gender, religion, and many other factors, they do not need to conform
to systems that they were meant to dismantle.
I love crocheting. It brings me so much joy. Yet, I'm not just creating beautiful, unique crocheted
hair accessories. I'm starting a movement of feminism, freedom, inclusion, breaking down the
patriarchy, refusal to conform to misogyny, reclamation of all that is valuable to us.
I love that I've already inspired people, and I know that will continue. My dream is that someday
my scrunchies and other products will be so widely spread, that people recognize others
wearing my products and know: This is someone who will advocate for me. This person is a
refuge, a safe place.
Thank you for being with me on this journey and supporting my dream. This is just the
beginning.
Friends, I am going to Montana at the end of August and will spend the month of September
there. During September, I will not be writing a Dear Creative Soul newsletter or posting on my
Substack. I'll continue writing likely sometime in October. Thanks again.
Dear Creative Soul July 2025
Hello my fabulous, amazing creative friends.
I'm so glad you're here hanging out with me. I have an announcement. This past week I created
a Facebook group called Our Creative Souls where poets, writers, artists, and other creatives
can come together to share our work, support each other, and have empowering discussions.
So, if you are on Facebook and you want a safe, enriching, creativity-focused place to hang out,
come join me. Yes, you can sell your self-made products in the group. Members are limited to 4
posts per day so everyone has a chance to share their creativity.
Click here to join the group: Creative Souls
It's a private group with just a couple simple questions to join. See you there.
Also, I was thinking today about how I would love to share other people's creativity, to empower
other writers and artists. So, if you have something you created, something that you are in the
process of creating, if you are an entrepreneur focused on some form of art or creativity, I would
love to see your work to see if we resonate and vibe with each other as creatives. I would
feature your work (or a link to or excerpt of your work) in my newsletter along with your written
answers to a few simple creativity-related interview questions. Let me know if you are
interested. My contact info is below.
A while ago I attended a couple beautiful, refreshing body doubling writing times hosted by my
friend, Holly Revere. Other writers and I came together for a short greeting and discussion and
then took time to work on our writing. Even though everyone was quiet and just dwelling on the
Zoom call with our audio and cameras off, we felt that empowering support of having other
writers work alongside us.
Until maybe last year or a couple years ago, I had never heard the term body doubling, but I
think perhaps, it's been something that I have been doing and craving my whole life.
My husband Samuel is in the process of writing a book as well as various essays and other
writings. So many evenings are filled with quiet times of him typing away at his desktop and me
on the couch crocheting, writing, doing social media networking, or other things. His presence
combined with the peaceful, quiet atmosphere is so calming for me.
I love being in cafes and libraries and watching people read, write, draw, do handcrafts, or
whatever. Somehow, even though, we are all working on our own things, I feel this peaceful
sense of unity.
I think that's also part of the reason that I enjoy networking with other crocheters and artists on
Instagram. Yes, I have the goal of selling some of the things I make; yet, I also enjoy the
community atmosphere. Seeing what others are creating and being able to encourage them
makes me happy. We are united in this mutual love of art. Even if other artists are not sitting in
the same room as me as they create, even if we are not delving into creativity during the same
hours, knowing that others are creating beauty, vibrancy, art, and hope is like a sacred refuge
for my mind and soul. We need each other, and the world needs our art.
I've recently discovered that I love finding wildflowers in the forest, pressing them into books,
and using the pressed flowers to create bookmarks. The process of making cards and
bookmarks is reflective and healing for me. In our world where productivity is prioritized and
every hobby turns into some kind of moneymaking endeavor, I realize that the freedom of
creativity I had as a child needs to be reawakened.
This past month, I was trying to make a card and the paper kept bending. I kept experimenting
and ending up with the same result. I have felt fear, hesitancy, perhaps even shame when I
think about experimenting because part of my mind has absorbed the narrative that all of my
craft supplies need to be used for productivity, to build a business, to make things to sell. If I
make something that I can't sell, I feel as if I have wasted my supplies. I don't think that there is
anything wrong with turning our hobbies, something we love into a source of income. In today's
economy when people are struggling to make ends meet, it makes perfect sense that we would
want to have as many income streams as possible.
Also, I think there is this underlying narrative that marketing our hobbies means that we are
proud of our work. If we are making things for ourselves or giving things away, it means we lack
skills, confidence, etc. Selling services or products created within our hobbies is a way of
proving that we are talented and productive, enough.
We deserve to have the opportunity to sell our work and earn a stable income. We deserve the
opportunity to just create art for ourselves and our loved ones without feeling any sense of
shame or fear of not being enough. We deserve to experiment, to play, to have fun in every
aspect of our creativity.
Here's a card and a couple bookmarks I made and a view of my art table. The black and white
bookmark is made with dried and pressed wildflowers, 2 pieces of a pizza pockets box, office
paper, colored pencil, and a glue-water mixture. The blue bookmark is cardstock wrapped in
office paper and colored with colored pencils and watercolor markers. That was a fun discovery.
If I glue 2 pieces of paper together, one on top of the other, the moisture from the glue makes
them warp and curl, but if I wrap one piece over the other and glue each of the folds, the card,
bookmark, or whatever I'm making tends to stay flatter.
Samuel and I visited Huuhanranta this past weekend and enjoyed swimming, having a
barbecue, roasting marshmallows, and eating smores. Huuhanranta is maybe 30-40 minutes
from our place, and it is considered to be the most beautiful beach in Finland. I love sharing
nature's beauty with you all, and I hope that it brings you joy. Huuhanranta is on the shores of
Lake Saimaa, Finland's largest lake.
Have a wonderful day,
Susannah
susannah@susannahcragwick.com
sjcragwickdesigns on IG, FB, and Bluesky
Dear Creative Soul June 2025
I was walking through the forest yesterday evening. As I stopped to admire tiny flowers on the
forest floor just beginning their journey of shining their existence, I began to think “bear witness”.
Within our world, there is so much pain, pain that we see and experience within ourselves, pain
we witness happening to and sadly being done to those we love, pain affecting those we’ve
never known, where empathy and feeling our united humanity is our only connection.
And, within it all, we bear witness, we listen, we send positive energy, intentions, and desires for
love and connection, for we know that there is hope and strength within being known.
Sometimes we share our hearts, our struggles, our experiences not because we believe others
can solve everything, but because being known is our source of connection, our reminder that
we are not alone.
As I noticed each flower, taking time to feel gentle stems between my fingers, letting my eyes
wander lovingly across and within the details of each brave bloom, I thought to myself, “There is
so much pain in our world, but there is also so much love, positive energy, unity, community,
courage, solidarity, hope.”
I bear witness to all that is good within humanity, within myself, within all of us. I bear witness to
the flowers. I bear witness to pain. I bear witness to the love and courage I sense within all of
you, and I love you. I honor you. I value you.
Come with me. Let’s explore the forest in all its wonder and beauty. I’m here to listen to all that
you wish to speak. I’m here to dwell in silence with you.
I am passionate about nature photography. Perhaps someday I’ll get a camera, but I’m pretty
happy, and I think I do pretty well with my phone. I took these pictures drenched in pouring rain,
kneeling down in the dirt and brush with mosquitoes trying to eat me for dinner. Honestly (other
than dealing with the little bloodsucking bastards), I was happy; I was in my element, finding joy
in showing the beauty nature reveals to me.
I dream of having an online and perhaps brick and mortar shop where I sell cards, bookmarks,
stationery, calendars, and other products made from my photography, paintings, and other
forms of art.
Something that I’ve been thinking about lately is that I don’t want to rush to create things just for
the sake of presenting something in the newsletter, having something to post on social media,
etc. So, instead of preparing something to present to prove that I am productive enough, I am
choosing to take time to create at my own pace. Sometimes the pressures I put on myself are
things that all of you don’t actually care about.
Some months, I might have tons of art to show you and products to introduce. Some months,
we will just dwell together with nothing more than a few photos and some positive thoughts and
affirmations. That’s more than enough. I hope that my choice to breathe deeply, to slow down,
to create at my own pace encourages you within your own creativity. I love that you’re on this
journey with me. Thank you for supporting my work. If you enjoyed reading my letter, I’d love for
you to subscribe. Feel free to use the form or email me at susannah@susannahcragwick.com
Have a wonderful day,
Susannah Cragwick
www.susannahcragwick.com
Instagram: @sjcragwickdesigns
Facebook: SJ Cragwick Designs
Bluesky: @sjcragwickdesigns.bsky.social
Dear Creative Soul May 2025
Thoughts
Here are some things that have helped me as I continue my creative journey.
1. Make a schedule that works for you. Trust your intuition and your desires for what you
want your days to look like. You don’t need to conform to anyone else’s definitions of
organized and productive.
2. Give yourself permission to have more than one project going simultaneously. Your
body and mind may not crave the same art form, the same type of creative work each
day or be able to handle the same level of physical, mental, or emotional intensity.
If determination to finish something feels right, invites ease of breath and positive
emotions, lean into that energy.
At times, we might tell ourselves, “I can’t move on until I finish this. I’m so disorganized.
I need to change. I won’t be productive, successful, enough if I don’t force myself to
keep going on this.”
Determination within your creativity should come from a place of hope, not a place of
self punishment or fear.
Move on when you need to. Come back when it feels right.
You have done enough. You are enough.
3. Many of us have been conditioned to use perfectionism as a security mechanism to
protect against judgment, criticism, and difficult emotions and vulnerabilities we don’t
want to face within ourselves.
It’s ok to feel stuck and scared within your creative process and to acknowledge that to
yourself and others who make your heart feel safe.
Allow yourself to let go of the lie that the things within you that have been labeled as
imperfections are the reason for difficulties you face.
“I didn’t get many likes on this post. I must be doing something wrong.”
“My body isn’t (society’s definition of) perfect and beautiful. I must not be doing enough.”
“This product isn’t selling. There must be something wrong with it.”
Your imperfections should never have been used to cause you pain. Even
acknowledging that truth can be a first step in embracing the creative freedom you
deserve.
Creativity
This month, I thought I’d highlight some of the items that I’ve made for custom orders
and gifts.
1. Mama’s Dishcloths
A while ago, my mom asked for crocheted dishcloths. She said they are so much
sturdier and work so much better than store-bought dishcloths. It made me so happy to
make these for her. If you would like to have the crochet patterns, feel free to contact
me.
2. Custom-made Scrunchies
The 4 scrunchies pictured on the left, I designed and made for my friend here in
Finland. She asked me to take a photo of her favorite dress and to make her a set of 4
scrunchies to match. I love that idea. Scrunchies might be cheaper at retail stores, but
you can’t go there and request custom-made scrunchies to match your favorite outfit.
The 3 scrunchies on the right, I designed and made for my friend in Montana. At first,
she was looking at my inventory, and then she got really excited when she found out
that I do custom-made scrunchies. She had fun choosing colors and designs for her
scrunchies.
Scrunchies currently in my inventory are 9€ + shipping. I usually charge 12-18€ +
shipping for my custom-made scrunchies depending on size, material cost, etc. Contact
me if you’d like to order.
Have a wonderful day,
Susannah
www.susannahcragwick.com
IG: @sjcragwickdesigns
Facebook: SJ Cragwick Designs
If you enjoyed reading this month’s letter and would like to receive Dear Creative Soul in
your inbox monthly, contact me.
Dear Creative Soul April 2025
Thoughts
1. Start over.
For quite awhile now, I have been working on making a blanket. I keep starting it and
then deciding that there’s something that I don’t like about it. So, I unravel it and start
over or I take new yarn out and start working on another design. As I was looking at yet
another blanket I had started, I thought to myself, “I’m trying to force myself to like this
so that I don’t have to start over yet again, so that I don’t have to feel like I failed again.”
Sometimes we keep going with things not because we want to or because we are satisfied,
but because we don't want to start over.
Yet, what if starting over isn’t about failure? What if starting over is a way of telling
ourselves that we deserve to experience what it’s like to not limit ourselves, to not settle
for things we don’t want.
I’m feeling this truth right now. For years, so much of my life revolved around music,
violin lessons beginning at age 5, my graduate recital for my Master’s degree, and so
much in between. However, honestly, even though, yes, I sing in 2 choirs here and do
occasional solos, I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to work in the field of music. I
feel I am embracing visual art and creativity. I am letting myself discover what I actually
desire, what I actually want to do in life. I find joy, comfort, a centering peace intermixed
with excitement when I’m painting, when I’m doing nature photography, often when I’m
writing. I guess my journey begins with listening to my body, sensing my soul.
So, you have not failed. Allow yourself to start over, to discover new paths. Perhaps
much of your life has revolved around doing what others wanted or what you thought
they wanted. It’s time to live your life for you.
2. Set goals aside. Just create.
For me, drawing and painting is therapeutic and healing. I don’t have to try and make
everything perfect because there’s no goal that I’m trying to attain. I don’t know where
the creative journey will end. I just keep painting; I just keep making lines on the page
with my markers and colored pencils and at some point, I just have this inner knowing
that the piece is done. It’s possible in the future that my abstract art prints might be used
for my stationery, card, and bookmark designs. For now, it’s enough that they exist and
that I took the time to create them.
I believe that having goals is important. I do get energy and motivation from writing
down my goals and sometimes a sense of clarity as well. Yet, I also believe that we can
find so much joy, peace, and healing by doing things in which “right” or “perfection” are
not part of the process. So, do something just for fun. Read something just because it
fascinates you. Write something just because you want to. May you find healing through
creativity and joy through choosing your own path beyond perfection, beyond agenda
and expectations.
My Creative Journey
Here are a few of the abstract art prints that I’ve created. Just for fun, I thought I’d
describe the process of how I made each one.
1. I made this piece with watercolor markers and colored pencils. I crumpled a piece of
aluminum foil and colored it with a watercolor marker. Then I randomly scraped the foil
against the paper to create this design.
2. I created the background of this piece using colored pencil shavings. When I’d
sharpen my colored pencils, I’d let the shavings fall on the paper. After removing the
wood fragments, I made swirling motions with my hands to move the pencil shavings
around. I created the texturing by coloring with my paper on top of a small wire basket.
3. I created this piece by randomly swirling glue on the page and then coloring the dried
glue with watercolor markers.
4. To create this piece, I colored a piece of paper with watercolor markers, chopped it
into random pieces, and glued it onto white paper. I really like how it came out.
Creativity
My husband, Samuel, was talking with his mother, Mirja, a couple weeks ago and
mentioned that I was making cards. She loves flowers. So, she told Sam that I should
design cards with flowers. Well, I still need to work on those flower cards for her, but I
have started designing downloadable, printable stationery. Photographing flowers is
something I’ve always loved. I’m creating the Flower Garden Collection, which will
include downloadable, printable stationery sets, bookmarks, and cards. I’m using my
own photos, some of which I took in Missoula and others here in Finland. I’m continuing
my creative journey.
Here is what I have so far. You can let me know if you’re interested in buying this
stationery. This is a printable, downloadable product. So, I would send the designs to
your email as a PDF attachment, and you could then print as many pieces as you want
for your personal use. The stationery is single-sided. The flowers featured in this
stationery are ones I photographed in Missoula, Montana.
