Remembering Wink

As you probably already know, the crochet world lost one of its rising stars this past weekend when Marinke (Wink) of A Creative Being lost her battle with depression. The overwhelming response is shock and sadness, but also love and support for her family and a need to DO something…to somehow make some small positive come out of all of this.

I didn’t get the chance to know her personally. She was one of several people who shared their stories in a book called “Crochet Saved My Life.” Though not quite the same, I’ve had my own struggles with depression, and went through many (too many) dark, hopeless years before I found the help I needed. Wink inspired me because she took her darkness and turned it into color and beauty, with her bright, cheery mandalas and other lovely patterns on Ravelry, on her website, and in her books.

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that remains.” –Anne Frank

To remember her vibrance and joy, share the beauty she created, and to raise awareness about depression and mental illness, Crochet Concupiscence has set up this #MandalasForMarinke project. ACCROchet also set up a #MandalasForWink hashtag for sharing pictures of mandalas made with Wink’s patterns. If you knew Wink, read her blog, liked her patterns, or have been touched in some way by depression or mental illness, please consider participating in this project.