State of Flux
State of Flux was a 10-week project that introduced women recovering from addiction to the benefits of making.
The Serenity Café was a community development mental health organisation based in Edinburgh which supported local people, recovering from additions and mental ill health. It provided training, employment, education, which supported people’s recovery in a manner that enables them to re-connect with their community and wider society.
The State of Flux project (10-weeks) aims, through the act of making, to introduce women, who are recovering from addiction:
• The opportunity to develop skills in traditional metal jewellery making
• To develop their self-confidence and aid their recovery.
It is the view of the project that building the women’s self-confidence through the act of making will in turn have an impact on their mental health and also encourage the potential.
‘I feel amazing! I finished my ring!’
‘Fantastic! What an amazing sense of achievement, I am glowing with pride’.
The women all described how they became more focused, calmer and relaxed even with the pressure of making something new and for the first time.
One of the participants stated: ‘I really enjoyed the class, felt creative even when making mistakes.’
All the women commented that the project has contributed to their recovery. It had broken their isolation, given them a sense of achievement and belonging. See the State of Flux Project Report for more about the findings of this project.