I witness it so many times—someone arrives carrying the weight of their day, then two hours later leaves commenting on how "centering" the workshop experience felt. This shift is what slow making is all about.
Why Making (Not Just Slowing Down) Matters
What if the simple act of making something with your hands could shift your entire day? There's something special that happens when your hands are busy creating and your mind can rest into the rhythm of the process.
I can get caught up in rushing like anyone else. Starting your own business in your 50s (with heavy 100+ year old machinery, no less!) often feels like it works against slowing down. When I do slow down while making, though, a feeling of groundedness spreads throughout my body. My breathing slows automatically. I feel more aware, more alert, more me.
What Is Slow Making?
Slow making is about process and presence while creating something tangible. It's paying attention to the weight of paper in your hands, the resistance as you fold it, the satisfying press of the corner rounder. The goal isn't to master a technique or produce a masterpiece—it's to experience what happens when you engage fully with materials and the act of making.
Try this: next time you make your morning coffee, slow down each step. Feel the weight of the beans, listen to the water, notice how the aroma changes as it brews. Even this familiar routine becomes different when you bring attention to the process.
The same happens when you're folding paper into notebook pages, knitting, or arranging flowers. There's a natural rhythm that emerges when you let your hands lead and your mind follow.
What Happens When You Slow Down to Make
The Japanese concept of ma—often translated as "empty space"—recognizes that meaningful things need room to breathe. The physical act of making creates space for a mental shift to happen naturally.
People often discover this without trying. "It was so relaxing and such a comfortable space to be in," one person shared about their experience in our Mindful Making class. Another described the transformation: “Before, I felt slightly overstimulated from work. Now, I feel a bit more relaxed."
Even simple activities can become a form of mindfulness. When you're writing a letter by hand, feel the pen move across paper and form each letter deliberately. You’re practicing the same engaged attention. Your hands are purposefully busy, your mind settles, and you ease into the moment.
Finding Your Own Practice
The beauty of slow making is that it’s available to everyone. You might find it while kneading bread or wrapping a gift. You can use these little moments to practice bringing your full attention to what you’re doing and embrace the journey.
In our hurried world, slow making is an invitation to notice and be. It's a way to slow down, express, and connect—with materials, with the process, with ourselves, and with each other.
This is the essence of our Mindful Making workshops, where many guests use the word "relaxing" to describe their experience and one guest said, "it's a great way to relax and meet other crafty people." Our next Mindful Making workshop is Mini Notebooks on September 25 (6:30-8:30 pm), and we're creating Gratitude Boxes on October 30.
We’d love for you to join us, but you can always try slow making at home too! You just need your hands, some materials, and the willingness to slow down enough to notice what happens when you make mindfully.
