Three short years ago Jess Childs and husband Odin were living the life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The young nurses were working fulltime in the St George area trying to save money for their upcoming marriage and hopefully a family down the track.
But tragedy struck just one week after they married in 2018.
Odin blew a disc in his back while working. Three failed back surgeries later and the 36-year-old is "permanently disabled and requires assistance to walk".
With Odin unable to work, the family chose to relocate to Lake Illawarra, allowing Jess to look after him fulltime.
This took a mental health toll on Jess, who struggled to adjust and had a tough time organising her life and taking care of everything at home.
It was only after the 30-year-old found a creative outlet that things started improving.
"Adjusting to that new lifestyle of both working fulltime, both being out of the house to both being around each other fulltime and being his carer, if I'm honest that was really quite hard for me," Jess said.
"I needed an outlet, something for me to be able to do that was just for me.
"So I dived pretty deep into my cricut machine, which wasn't really popular at the time, and I haven't looked back since. It has definitely helped in so many ways."
Jess is a member of Cricut for Australians, a large community (63.4 thousand members and growing) for crafters and Cricut fans.
Jess turned to Cricut, a creative technology company that helps people lead more creative lives, and turned to crafting as a way to help with her mental health.
She used Cricut to thank all the surgeons and people who helped her husband with presents, she used it to label things and declutter her life, and she still uses it as a positive outlet for her mental health to this day.
"I bought this [DIY cutting] machine as a mental health outlet for myself after my husband sustained a spinal injury and became permanently disabled," Jess said.
"It has allowed me to be better organised within my home, make items for my family that we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford and help make items for others that are in similar or worse off situations than ourselves.
"I do this by making items for the Southern Cross Kids camp each July school holidays.
"Since buying this machine as a mental health outlet, I am a better carer, wife, mum and friend."
Since buying this machine as a mental health outlet, I am a better carer, wife, mum and friend.
- Jess Childs
A recent survey conducted by Cricut found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Aussies find that making/decorating things gives them a sense of satisfaction, with 55 percent saying that it also improves their mood.
This is further illustrated by the fact that 88 per cent of Aussies say that pursuing a creative hobby provides a positive outlet for their mental health, and one third (33 per cent) of Aussies use crafts as an outlet to express themselves.
"It has certainly been a big help for me. I was really struggling before I took up this creative outlet," Jess said.
"I invested in a cricut machine just so I could have something as a mental health outlet really to be able to have something just for me, something that I could do that other people weren't reliant on.
"My little thing that I could go and do by myself.
"That was also a really good way for me to be able to do things, like keep the house organised and earn a little bit of money on the side without having to go to work and leaving my husband at home alone, which I couldn't do because he requires fulltime care."
Jess said another positive was that she didn't feel guilty about her creative outlet because she was also able to help her family and other people.
"I've used it to do a lot of things around the house and keep us organised," she said.
'I've organised a pantry with it and made clothes and things like that we necessarily couldn't afford at the time.
"I also get a lot of pleasure from the fact I can make special, personalised items for kids doing it tough. I feel good when I can help others as well."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
