Crochet Heals: Interview with Athena Field

“Crochet calms the mind, soothes the soul and makes the black dog dance in a pretty little dress.”

This interview was originally published in a 2016 issue of Happily Hooked Online Magazine. I had a monthly column there for eight years called Crochet Heals. I was so honored to meet, interview, connect with and amplify the voices of so many amazing creative crocheters who used crafting as part of their wellness journey. Their stories never cease to amaze me, and I don’t want them forgotten, so sometimes I share throwbacks like this one.

NOTE: Athena’s website is no longer active and her Facebook hasn’t been updated since last year. This article has not been updated but continues to have valuable, inspiring information.

Images are from Athena’s Ravelry store or her Facebook page; patterns are her designs.

Athena Field is an Australian crochet designer and artist who has lived with depression and anxiety. Perhaps, surprisingly she says, “My life is more brilliant by this diagnosis.” She is a mental health peer support worker who is passionate about these issues. Crochet is one of the most important tools in her wellness toolbox as well as one of many gifts that she gives to the world. She is fond of saying:

“Crochet calms the mind, soothes the soul and makes the black dog dance in a pretty little dress.”

Athena has received awards for her amigurumi designs from Crochetville’s Doll competition as well as the Sydney Royal Easter show. Her work was a sell-out at the World Amigurumi Exhibition in New York last year. Her patterns have been published in Happily Hooked. Today she shares more about her work and the benefits of crochet in her life through this interview.

Let’s start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm a woman, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a mental health peer support worker, an author and a friend. I’m married to a funny, loving, spunky man that I have been with for more than two decades. I grew up in Sydney, a wonderful place, to Greek parents who have been married for more than four decades. I am passionate about mental health, writing, crochet and showing people that it is okay to not be okay.

And what has “not okay” looked like in your life?

For several years I suffered from infertility and underwent several procedures and treatments to have a living child. The experience lasted 7 years with failed IVF, IUI and miscarriages as the result. In 2008 I finally fell pregnancy naturally with my son. My dream had come true, but I had not resolved the years of frustration and agony that I had endured up until that point. This eventually manifested in PTSD.

I returned to work when my son was still an infant and immediately began to experience separation anxiety. It was not long after this, with several panic attacks under my belt and ruminating over past events, that I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depression.

“When the darkness first came into my life I felt alone, afraid, hopeless. I had won the battle with infertility but I had not resolved its repercussions. My friend took her life, relationships were fragile and the world around me felt broken and worthless. The Black Dog f-d with my mind. I was exhausted, struggling to find joy where all the beauty had left. I was just a body coping with the mundane, waiting and hoping for the “this too will pass” day to arrive.” – From Athena’s website

How did crochet come to be a part of your personal therapy?

You are about to hit the paywall. Create Me Free exists because of paid subscriptions. However, I try to make it easy for everyone to pay at a rate that works for them by offering a Sliding Scale Pay What You Can Rate starting at $10.