Browsing by Author "Myrskylä, Nanna"

The purpose of this study is to investigate the change of craftmaker's self-concept after a diagnosis of physical disease or injury, and the meanings of crafts for physically ill or injured long-term craftmakers. In this study I use a term ”craftself-concept” to describe the craftmaker's self-concept of her/himself as a craftmaker. A Craftself-concept is a belief system of her/himself, that includes all the person's knowledge and skills of crafts. The research data consists of thematic interviews of four physically invalid women who all have different kind of backgrounds. All intervieweers have a different diagnosis of physical disease or injury and a long-term craft hobby. A Disease or injury has affected in their ability to function, which have affected, not only their lives, but their ways to do crafts as well. I have analysed the craftself-consept via themes: A change in craftmaking, change in a self-esteem, change in a feeling of capability and valuation. And the meanings of craft via themes: Pain relief, success experiences, expressional and social meanings. By analysing the chance in craftself-consept, there was a few common elements that could be found. In general, physical disease or injury does change a person's craftself-concept and strenghthens the meanings of crafts in their lives. A Physical disease or injury had changed the intervieweers ways to do crafts and it had also increased or decreased craftmaking significantly. It had affected to their self-esteems as craftmakers and their feeling of capability and valuations of crafts in a positive way. The intervieweers had also found a new meaning of making crafts: Pain relief. Craft making relieves the pain and feeling of illness, and it's good for a health in many ways.