The Healing Power of Paper Crafting Creativity

Jennifer Schaerer

We’re gearing up for World Card Making Day festivities around here, and there’s a definite tingle in the air. It’s the official kick-off to the season of holiday card making, and there are groups all over the world who will be gathering to celebrate their passion for the hobby with special activities (if you’re looking for ideas on how to celebrate, go HERE). 

Above all else, it’s a day for paper crafters around the globe to unite and celebrate the connection and creativity that is the heart of card making.

Along with the heart of card making comes a certain healing power. We know it well; you’re probably familiar with our focus this year on the Creativity Heals campaign we’re supporting with our sister publication Creating Keepsakes.

Today I’m delighted to share a story with you about someone who has fully embraced the idea of donating her time and creativity to improve the lives of others through the healing power of creativity.

You may already know her. When I’ve seen her in person, I’ve called her Girlie – because I’m not sure if she’s Carolyn or Cammie. (I finally asked her about it and she told me it’s a nickname from her childhood, courtesy of her oldest brother John. He bestowed upon each of the 8 siblings, including himself, a special version of their name. For most of them, it stuck through adulthood so Carolyn is known just as widely as Cammie as she is Carolyn. Mystery solved!)  

Carolyn/Cammie King with Susan Opel at CHA Summer 2010

This creative wonder woman lost her grandmother to Alzheimer’s Disease two years ago, watching over the course of 12 years as this once impeccably groomed and stylishly hip woman deteriorated into someone who was a shell of her former self. But more than that, Carolyn watched the tireless effort by caretakers, including her own parents, who weathered the storm of combative behavior and deteriorating mental capacity without a single complaint.

It is these unsung heroes who have become the focus of Carolyn’s healing creativity. In 2008, she launched her inaugural Heart to Heart Card Drive, which generated over 850 cards for Alzheimer’s caregivers.

I had a chance to find out more directly from Carolyn, and her thoughts were so full of heart that I have to share them here.

Me: It sounds like you had a special relationship with your grandmother. What was she like?

Carolyn: My grandmother, Clare Lyons (we all called her “Mamo”), was a strong independent woman. You could never win an argument with her and she played a mean game of Scrabble. She LOVED going to the casinos and hanging on the beach with her sisters and playing cards. My siblings and I learned to play poker at an early age by watching them play penny poker on the beach. 

Growing up I remember looking up to her because she was pretty darned hip for a grandmother and she was always impeccably groomed…right down to her polished finger nails. I felt particularly close to her because I moved back in with my parents after I was divorced. She lived right down the road and was over a lot. It was during this time when my grandmother ended up moving in with my parents because she was starting to suffer some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s.

Me: At what point did your family realize that she had Alzheimer’s?

Carolyn: I remember clearly the first time we really knew something was wrong (aside from the normal forgetfulness of aging). At the time, Mamo still lived in her little apartment around the corner from my parent’s house. It was December and she called my mom in a panic—-someone had come and wrapped all her Christmas presents. She wanted my mom to come over. Turns out…my grandmother had wrapped them herself but had no recollection of it at all. It wasn’t too long after this that Mamo came to live with my parents.

Me: What was it like for your parents when Mamo moved in with them?

Carolyn: My parents raised eight children—they should have been enjoying their empty nest years but they gave that up to care for Mamo. And the most amazing thing about it is that they did that because they wanted to…not because they had to. I know it was hard to care for her (especially in the last years) but they did so without complaining. I saw first hand all they went through and this was the first inspiration for the card drive to thank the caregivers. They cared for her for so long (I think 8 years or so) in their home until her she needed constant supervision at all times and they were forced to find an assisted living facility for her.

Me: And that was the inspiration for launching your first Heart to Heart Card Drive in 2008?

Carolyn: I wanted to thank the people who often have a thankless job—the caretakers of Alzheimer’s patients. I have known and seen so many who give so much of themselves and I wanted to make them feel special and thanked (even for just a day). So I thought—what if I do a card drive—where people send a card to a caregiver and they can enter to win a prize. (The prize part was just for fun as I know that so many people would do this, prize or not.)

Me: You had already done something special to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association, though, right?

Carolyn: Originally I decided to illustrate a stamp set and donate my proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association. I got the idea from Gina Krupsky (owner of Gina K Designs) because she had illustrated stamp sets in the past to raise money for various charities. After my grandmother passed away I was creatively crippled for a while until I thought of illustrating a set benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. It was a great way to channel my energy and because I had a good REASON for crafting—I was driven to create again. And because the original card drive was just a few months after my grandmother passed away—it was a great distraction and helped me TO DO something to begin to heal. 

Whimsical Autumn stamp set by Carolyn King for Gina K Designs, and 100% of Carolyn's proceeds from the sale of this set go straight to the Alzheimer's Association.

Me: Okay, back to the card drive – how did you make it happen?

Carolyn: I shot an e-mail out to a few companies that I had either worked with or knew of and figured that if even one or two offer to donate a cool prize, I could generate some cards for a card drive. Within SECONDS of that original e-mail, I had 10 companies on board to help. And from there…it grew…HUGE! It went from MY project to OUR project and I am so very grateful to all those companies who jumped on board (especially the first time when there was not media attention and they didn’t know HOW BIG it would become.) I was a little nervous this year to do it again because I wasn’t sure what kind of response I would get, especially with the economy. But….again so many jumped to help out in any way they could.

Me: After a break in 2009 while your husband was deployed, you’re doing it again this year. When will it be and who is participating?

Carolyn: The original card drive and this one, which will take place on September 26 (my grandmother’s birthday) on my blog, is such a collaborative effort. So many people have been touched in some way or another by this horrible disease and want to do something  to help out. Sending a card is such a little easy act but it is one that can yield amazing results. This is BY FAR the best thing I do with my crafting and I am so proud to be part of a community that can join together to make our world better. This is what it is all about—-helping others and being the light in someone else’s life.

Me: What do you hope to get out of this year’s event?

Carolyn: This year my hope is the same. I would love if (through this outreach) we touch even one person who needs to feel appreciated for the hard work they do. If one person feels lifted and appreciated…then it will be a success. The other benefit of the card drive is that it brings some attention to the Alzheimer’s Association and the great work that they do in their fight against the disease.

Another stamp set by Carolyn King for Gina K Designs, also with 100% of Carolyn's proceeds donated to the Alzheimer's Association.

Well, friends, I hope your heart is as full as mine after reading about Carolyn’s efforts to improve the lives of others through the healing power of creativity. Don’t miss her very special Heart to Heart Card Drive this Sunday, September 26. We’ve donated six special issues to her massive prize package, so we’d love for you to make a card for an Alzheimer’s caregiver, enter the contest, and feel really, really good about this wonderful hobby we all share.

Jennifer

P.S. It’s time to announce the winner of Cath’s Grateful for Card Making on World Gratitude Day!

Theresa Pollack (Sept. 21, 6:37 a.m.)

Congrats, Theresa! Kelly will be contacting you shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing address. Thanks to all who left comments!