When I started to make (and sell) dolls and people started to tell me that my dolls help them I was wondering - how? is it true? is it placebo? I never offered them as magical solutions. Of course, I can't deny there is my thought, intention and inner conversation happening while I craft my dolls - it's a personal practice. I know about traditional uses of dolls in folk magick and witchcraft, but not all who own my dolls call themselves witches or use them for ritualistic or magical purposes. When "The Healing Doll Way" - a visually stunning book about creating dolls as part of art therapy by Barb Kobe reached me, I finally dared to look for the answer - how can a doll help? In this book the author offers a guided process of creating dolls for self-discovery, awareness and transformation, but if you are not the one creating a doll, is there still any benefit of engaging with dolls as an adult? Turns out, the idea that dolls can help isn’t just a weird thought of a few "crazy" witches. The power and potential of dolls as valuable tools for personal development, self-reflection and regulation, transformation, growth, healing and overcoming problems is well recognized, accepted and used in modern psychology and psychotherapy.
This doll right here was created channelling confidence and self-acceptance. Kind of affirmation doll, a reminder and symbolic companion. That's what most of my dolls are. I still don't know if my dolls are art or delusional madness, but do we know where to draw the line? Is it even possible to draw a clear line and is it even needed? You tell me... The fact that my dolls help is something buyers of my dolls told me, I had no clue it could happen, just a hope they would bring joy and the sense of companionship. To my own surprise they do a lot more, and I've heard a few times: "Kristine, you don't know what you are doing with those dolls." And I agree. To be honest, I needed 7 years of crafting dolls to understand that a doll is a powerful vessel.
If you are interested in exploring this topic, you can find my full article about this here: Through The Lens of Psychology: How Can a Doll Help?
(The link takes you to my SiltiCrafts home page)
