Peri
Creating is one of the most important ways I look after my mental health. Whether I am making something with my hands or designing, the process takes me to a place where I feel calm, focused, and grounded. My favourite creative outlet is needle felting. I enjoy it because it also allows my creativity to take me anywhere.
As someone with dyslexia, I have never found patterns in the traditional sense easy to follow, and needle felting gives me the freedom to work in a way that suits me — I can adapt, improvise, and let the process evolve without the pressure of “getting it exactly right.” This balance between structure and creativity is deeply satisfying.
The needle-felted piece I have submitted ‘Peri’ has been adopted by the perinatal service as their mascot! People find it easier to relate to Peri rather than a title of a service. Peri is engaging, they are ageless, without gender or ethnicity – meaning everyone can see Peri for the character they are, rather than thinking Peri isn’t like me. Knowing that something I made now represents a service I care deeply about makes my creative time feel even more meaningful. It truly makes me happy.
