Krissy Wright, Capricorn Extraordinaire

“Arty-Crafty Healing”

Sometimes, being creative is more than something we do for love. Sometimes, being creative is necessary to survive. Krissy Wright knows a thing or two about the creative process. Krissy believes that tapping into your creativity can actually save your life.

At the age of 23, Krissy was diagnosed with a pituitary brain tumour. The outlook was grim. Sewing beautiful garments for friends and family was, she believes, what helped her make it through. Then, years later, at the age of 37, she was diagnosed with another tumour. This time, it was breast cancer. Again, she turned to her creative talents to face this nightmare challenge head-on.

When I was diagnosed with both my pituitary brain tumour at the age of 23 and then breast cancer at 37, my first instinct was to create something.

In my 20s I designed and made clothing for family, friends and colleagues including garments for a Miss Australia contestant. I would sew using my machine, and embroider by hand for hours. It gave me the opportunity to create many beautiful things.

When in 2004 I was found to have breast cancer, I once again threw myself into knitting hats and scarves to wear while going through chemotherapy.  I would sit for hours, absorbed in the magnificent colours, and lost myself in the motion of simple knitting and the textures of the yarns.  It became like a meditation, a spiritual healing time. Knitting saturated all of my senses, and took me to a place where time disappeared and my soul sat still - calm and peaceful.

Krissy is a Capricorn, born on the first day of January. Those born under this sign are often recognized for their tenacity, endurance and ability to face almost anything that life can throw at them. This sign is noted for the challenges it brings, and many Capricorns would agree that most of the things that they have achieved in life have come the hard way. The irony here is that once they have mastered these challenges or tests, Capricorns excel in showing others the way.

Four years after she was last diagnosed, Krissy seems to have beaten this particular challenge. All signs of cancer are gone, and her doctor has given her a clean bill of health. Krissy sees the difficult road to overcoming cancer as a major opportunity. In Krissy’s mind, developing cancer was a blessing in disguise.

I can honestly say that having cancer was one of the biggest gifts I have ever received.

You see it has given me many opportunities. Where prior to cancer I was frustrated with my circumstances, after the diagnosis and treatment started, all of a sudden I started asking new questions- like “What would it hurt to give this or that a go?”.

She was able to use her love of sewing, knitting and embroidery to enrich her own, as well as others, lives.

I still sit and knit and embrace the same bliss each time I pick up the needles or brush my cheek, enjoying that sensation of another finished  ‘Krissy’s Hope Hat’.  I knit for my spirit and my sanity and then I sell the hats and matching scarves to raise money for worthy charity or give them to those going through chemo at the time.

During the night while I was on chemo, sometimes I suffered insomnia or was too sick to lie down, so I would write.  I am currently in the process of compiling those writings into a book called “Arty Crafty Healing-A genetic breast cancer story with a happy creative ending”.

My aim with this book is to guide others to healing through their own creativity.

Krissy believes there is a definite link between the creative process, one’s spiritual purpose, and the ability to harness the power of the mind. By devoting herself to her own healing journey, she has made some incredible discoveries. And most importantly, she has learnt to value herself and believe in what she can achieve through her art and craft. Recently, Krissy began turning these discoveries into a series of cards, based on 55 tiny artworks that she calls ‘re-cycle art’. She hopes they can offer inspiration and guidance to others.

I like to think of them as a lighthouse on the sea of this crazy gorgeous world we live in.  Some of my works were exhibited in the K-Confab breast cheque charity art auction 2007. Exhibiting is something I had always dreamed of since I studied art for the HSC. I am no Da Vinci but that doesn’t matter because art comes from the soul and heart and I had an opportunity to help raise funds for breast and ovarian cancer genetic research.

I’m a strong believer in the law of attraction and I know that as I visualised a healthy healed body, absorbing myself in the bliss and joy of creating beautiful and helpful things, I attracted and solidified my healing and cure from breast cancer.

Creativity is something we all have at some level…it’s just a matter of unearthing what makes you feel good and puts you into the “bliss void”, and then doing it on a regular and more grand scale each time you attend to it.  Once you tap that potential, and you practice your creative passion, the universe then conspires to give you more joy and prosperity from your creativity.

We can all learn something from Krissy’s amazing journey. Her book Arty-Crafty Healing will soon be available in e-book format, and you can find out more about Krissy and her “Recycle Art”, cards and hope hats at www.krissywright.com. Good luck Krissy- may you continue to make beautiful things for many years to come!