Why Your Craft Deserves Your Undivided Attention

In a culture that treats busyness as a virtue, it’s easy to believe creative hobbies are optional, something to return to only when there’s “enough” time. But the truth is, time rarely makes room for what nourishes us unless we ask it to. Intentionally carving out space for your craft isn’t indulgent or inefficient; it’s a way to protect your attention and come back to what actually feels good for you.

And this isn’t just a cozy idea. Research suggests that creative hobbies can support mental and emotional wellbeing, helping people cope through seasons like grief, chronic illness, and pain, while offering a sense of agency and comfort when life feels heavy (Burns & Van Der Meer, 2021).

Even without major stressors, creative engagement is also associated with benefits like improved quality of life and slower cognitive decline (Shukla et al., 2022). In other words, making time to create isn’t frivolous. It’s one of the most practical forms of self-care we have, because it gives your mind a safe and restorative place to go.

Why modern life makes creativity feel optional

These days, life rewards urgency, efficiency, and passive consumption. I’ve noticed my attention span for things I used to love, like reading a good book or going for a walk, has shrunk more than I’d like to admit. Even when I have free time, I catch myself thinking I should be using it “better,” in more productive ways, as if enjoyment has to justify itself.

Maybe you’ve felt that too.

But if we let them, creative hobbies like crochet can restore meaning to lives where we might otherwise default to doomscrolling and mental noise. There may be a million tasks fighting for our attention every day so creative hobbies are often the first thing we push aside, even though they are the very things that help us feel grounded and whole.

The thought of adding one more thing to your list may feel overwhelming, and for many people, time and energy are genuinely limited. Intention here doesn’t mean adding more, it means choosing one small pocket where attention isn’t constantly pulled away the best you can. At Day With Rae, we’re looking for ways to slow down: to choose intention over autopilot, and to take the opportunities to romanticize your life, even if it's for five minutes.

If you're looking for a project to embrace these very feelings, I suggest trying the Starlight Throw. Fun stitches, soft textures, and an easy project to put down and pick up again tomorrow.

Here are a few thoughts—and a few practical mindset shifts—to help you make time for intentional crocheting.

Productivity vs. presence in creative hobbies

There’s an important difference between being productive and being present. Productivity asks, “What did I accomplish?” Presence asks, “Was I here for it?”

The two can overlap, but they don’t have to.

When I crochet with productivity in mind, I notice I rush. I get frustrated. I focus on how much further I have to go, wonder when it will be finished, and start mentally working on the next project before I’m even done with this one. Sometimes I even feel oddly pressured, like I’ll let someone down if I don’t finish fast enough.

When I crochet with presence, I might not even remember how many rows I worked. Instead, I remember the feeling of the yarn slipping through my fingers, the gentle rhythm of each stitch, and the way the colors and texture calm my mind.

And this is your reminder that you are not going to have an end-of-year performance review on how well you crocheted. There is no boss standing over your shoulder. No one is grading you. You are a free human, and you can do whatever you want.

Finish the piece or don’t. Work one more row or don’t. Change colors halfway through because you feel like it. You are allowed to make the project low stakes, experiment, explore, and have fun!

If your intention in carving out time for crochet is to improve your skill, all the more reason to prioritize your hobby. That doesn’t mean you need to pressure yourself. Mastery is a marathon, not a sprint. Rushing the process often delays the results you’re hoping for, because stress makes it harder to learn, focus, and enjoy.

And mistakes? They’re not evidence you’re bad at this, as I explore a bit more in another blog post. They’re part of the practice. When something goes wrong, take that focused energy and unravel what happened. Get curious. That’s how skill builds steadily over time.

How to intentionally make time for crochet (without pressure)

Intention doesn’t have to mean rigidity. These small shifts can help you create space for your craft without turning it into another obligation.

Make it easy to start.

Leave your project somewhere visible with your hook and stitch marker nearby. Reducing friction makes it easier to begin.

Choose a minimum dose.

On busy days, commit to five minutes or a single row. Showing up matters more than how much you do.

Protect one recurring window.

A regular crochet ritual, even 20 or 30 minutes, creates rhythm. Consistency is what helps your brain recognize that it's time for the calm focus for crochet.

Making time is how slow living actually happens

Letting time pass can be beautiful, and sometimes necessary. But in a world designed to pull our attention in a hundred different directions, slow living rarely happens by accident.

Making time to put all your senses into your craft, gently and deliberately, is how we protect that precious, meditative experience. Crochet doesn’t ask for urgency. It asks that you return, one stitch, one row, one small moment at a time bringing your full attention with it.

When you give your creative practice a place in your life, you’re not chasing productivity. You’re choosing presence. And over time, that choice adds up, giving meaning, color, and improved sense of wellbeing without ever needing to rush.