It’s 2 AM on a weeknight when my hands finally give out. I stare at them dismayed. I was so close to finishing this project. But when I attempt to pick up the hoop and thread my fingers scream in protest. I am defeated by another self imposed deadline, and so I go to bed.

There’s a common thread in any craft-related community I come into contact with that many (and I mean many) people do not listen to their bodies. This isn’t a purely American-Puritanic phenomenon either. I’ve listened to makers in the UK complain about back problems from bending over their tables for too long. I’ve seen corset makers in France talk about how they got tennis elbow from constantly hand-finishing their corsets. I’m constantly reminded by the way my hands cramp up after hours of knitting, or sewing, or what-have-you that we don’t want to listen to our bodies because we have so much to do, and so little time to do it.

Over the years I’ve come to learn some life lessons that I want to share in the hope that when you listen to your body, hopefully you’ll get to make more stuff down the line.

Listen to The Twinge

The first sign I always get of fatigue is the tell-tale twinge of my tendons. Doesn’t matter if I’m out walking, working on a project, or making a long drive; if I feel the twinge I need to stop what I’m doing. Sometimes I’ll take a break and watch a show while resting my hand. Other times I’ll do some self care like a hand soak or a good rub. Other times I’ll take some over the counter pain killers and wait for them to kick in before continuing. The twinge is the first warning sign that your body needs rest, don’t ignore it!

Break Your Brain, Not Your Back

Crafting can be a surprisingly dexterous adventure. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can learn new techniques that will make it easier on your body. I spent some time in many studios working on product development and I have a distinct memory from my early years of a worker finding me stretching my back out after spending a few hours hunched over a table. They said “You can do the same work sitting down. Break your brain, not your back.” and it stuck with me ever since. It’s why when someone is willing to teach me a new way of ironing, or hand sewing, and more, I want to see what they’re doing and how I can incorporate it into my own physicality.

More often then not I see people (and myself) always beating themselves up for their bodies and how they don’t function as intended all the time. Over the years I’ve become zen with the fact that my body will not always cooperate, and when it tells me to stop I will choose to listen. We can decide if our craft will be full of hardship and misery, or we can decide that our craft will be filled with determination and endurance. You can go as quickly as you want, but you can’t go anywhere if your hands give out. When you get the twinge or the ache, take a break. Give your hands a little massage, or put lotion on them; I don’t know about you, but my hands get stupid dry. Sometimes an ice bath or an Icy/Hot patch will do the trick. Your body talks, listen to it.