You're listening to 3 and 30 takeaways from Mom's episode 174. Why to try a creative hobby even if you think you'll stink at it?

Welcome to 3 and 30, a podcast for moms who want to create more meaning in motherhood.

Each 30-minute episode will feature three doable takeaways for you to try at home with your family this week.

I'm your host Rachel Nielsen. Thank you so much for being here.

I don't consider myself to be an artistic person, but the truth is I never even try to do art so how would I really know?

I think I was excited to try art and creative expression as a child, but during my pre-teen years I realized that some activities come more naturally and easily to me, meaning I didn't have to work that hard to be good at them.

And others take more effort. So I decided I wasn't good at those activities and it wasn't, quote, worth my time to even dabble in them.

Does this sound familiar to any of you? We live in a society that is obsessed with productivity and excellence, so we often don't give ourselves permission to try new hobbies just because we want to or because they feel relaxing or fun to us.

We want to know the outcome will be worth it. We want a finished product. We want a justification for the time and money we invest.

Well, today's guest believes that the benefits of having a creative hobby go far beyond a beautiful finished product.

Lisa Funk is the founder of Handletter Design, the company that has sponsored 3 and 30 this month.

Through their workbooks, online workshops and materials, Handletter Design helps you learn the fulfilling hobby of hand lettering while also creating a meaningful mindset.

Lisa is a dear friend of mine who I admire immensely. She's a mother of four who struggled for years with depression before discovering a variety of tools that have helped her reclaim her happiness and her mental health.

One of the biggest tools that has helped her might surprise you. It's creativity, specifically hand lettering. I can't wait for you to hear from Lisa as she teaches us why it's valuable to have a creative hobby, even if we think we aren't naturally creative or artistic.

And how to go about turning your creativity into a mindfulness practice that will benefit your mental health.

Don't forget that as part of my partnership with Lisa and Handletter Design, you get 10% off any of the educational products in their shop using the code 3 and 30.

This includes their step-by-step workbooks to learn or improve your hand lettering, specialty materials including brush pins and lettering paper, and online courses and video tutorials.

Lisa will tell you more about all of her beautiful products within the interview and I'm so excited for you to hear from the woman who is at the heart and soul of this company that I love.

I also want to remind you of our other sponsor from this month, BetterHelp Online Counseling.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of therapy. If you've been listening to the podcast for very long, you've heard me talk often about how therapy has completely changed my life.

And I love that with BetterHelp, you can get mental health support on your own time, at your own pace, right from the comfort of your home. You can do it from your bed if you want to.

There are options to send your counselor texts or chat message anytime, plus you can schedule weekly video or phone sessions.

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