My Story

Who am I and why do I do what I do here?

My name is Stefan and I am currently 40 years old (2025). I am a teacher by trade but science, nature, physiology, geology, meteorology and many more have always been my passion. And when I am passionate about something, I do a deep dive into it! This comes from my deep love of knowledge and wanting (and understanding intuitively) to understand how things work.

My teaching days ended abruptly in 2020 when I had a STROKE. A blodclot had slipped through a hole in my heart and found its way to my brain. This altered my path in life, and ultimately led me to #BrainCrafts.

My focus has always been on the sciences, but through my job I have added psychology and an understanding of how the human mind works (and doesn't work). Therefore I was absolutely thrilled when I stumbled upon Craft Psychology. I had just months before started my own journey into crafts and seeing a connection between Crafts, mental health and recovering from my brain injury caught my attention - hence another deep dive. So now knowing just about all there is to know about the psychology behind why #BrainCrafts works, I want (read need) to spread this knowledge to others in similar situations - and hopefully help them get through their own struggles; wether it be brain injury, mental health issues or something completely different.

#BrainCrafts is what gets me through my days. They help me to focus, block out the world, find purpose again, share what my minds eye sees and in countless more ways.

The Story of my STROKE

Still in progress

My way into BrainCrafts

This story starts in april of 2024. With me suddently wanting to try to crochet a Pokemon for my son.

My journey into BrainCrafts

Setting the scene

The year is 2024 and it has been almost 4 years since my STROKE. I have been down, back up but am now for real falling back down again. I have lost my second job after my STROKE. My physical health is declining rapidly and so is my mental health. I am getting help, but nothing really seems to be able to pick me back up.

The discovery of crafts

One day in March of 2024 I joined a webinar on Craft Psychology by Anne Kirketerp. It completely blew my mind! The mental health benefits (backed by research) of crafts is a brand new way of viewing mental health and I was hooked (pun intended).

Coincidentally a few weeks before I had picked up a crochet hook for the first time since I crocheted a pencil case in my early years in school. My son loves Pokemon and my mom had gotten him a book about crochet Pokemon. So I had decided to make him one. So my first project ended up being a quite difficult “Snom”. Or, it was listed as easy in the book, but I quickly found out that it was not the best beginner pattern. But with a very steep learning curve I got it about 90% done. Then I saw the webinar.

Here I learned that having multiple projects at the same time is beneficial and that the projects need varying difficulty. From here things took a turn. I started buying yarn, did a deep dive into crochet with various books from the library and tutorials from youtube. Instagram also became a huge inspirational place with a big community of fellow “hookers”.

The change in my mental health

After getting into crochet (and other crafts along the way) I discovered a change in my mental wellbeing. Noise - which I struggle a lot with after my STROKE - was easier to cope with. At times I would completely disappear into my world of crafts (flow-state) and at others I had a project where I would just have it in my hands while being able to talk and participate in things around me. The different types of crafts and projects became more obvious to me and I learned when I needed which of them to better cope with my life.

My mind often overflows with ideas and projects. This is both my superpower and my curse. Superpower because I always have a new idea to pursue, but the curse comes in the form of the disabilities I have picked up after my STROKE. It means that I can only concentrate for a short period of time. I get bad headaches. Stress is a definite “killer” to my energy. And many more.

Luckily Craft Psychology helps me overcome these hurdles. I have my different types of projects for my different levels of energy, mental load, social situations etc.

This means that when I’m alone and have energy I can design a new piece or work on one of my more challenging projects. Here I need to count stitches, think deeply and redo things which demands full focus and no distractions.

At other times there might be a lot of noise around me with my kids playing loudly or me being in a social situation. Here a simple project with just repetitions, no counting and just my hands working their magic is the way to go. This kind of project might get boring on its own, but as a supplement to a conversation or an escape from noise it is the perfect tool!

This type of project might also be useful when there is just no more energy. Then the simple repetitions, the pattern, the muscle memory without any thought process needed can be very relaxing and even therapeutic.

Where Craft has taken me

Craft has become not just a big part of my life but actually most of it. I do it everyday. Different crafts for different moods, energy, situations, vacations, seasons etc. but it is a huge part of every day for me.

In the beginning I was following patterns made by others. I still do that on occasion, but creating my own pieces brings me so much more now that I have the skills and knowledge to do so. I am also creating patterns for others to follow.

Next to crochet I also do woodcarving, stonegrinding, glasscutting and more.

The biggest takeaway for me is that I have discovered creativity. MY creativity. And I believe it is within all of us. We just need to dare to look for it and grab on to it!

Crafts has given me a new purpose in life. I used to be a teacher, but due to my circumstances I am no longer able to do that. Instead I now create new and unique things on a daily basis. In addition I am able to spread the word and hopefully help others in similar situations. I might even be able to teach others crafts and share my knowledge of it.

SameYou article

Stefan and the art of crafting calm

Written by Victoria Birch

For Stefan From-Møller, crafts are more than just stitches and yarn. It is how he brings calm to the chaos and presence to a noisy world.

His living room is often scattered with projects - not one or two, but 10, sometimes more. To the untrained eye, it might look like indecision, but for Stefan, it’s purposeful. “Different projects for different moods,” he says. “Some are for days when I’ve got energy, and others, like the crochet bag I’m working on now, are just something repetitive, something I can do when I’m tired.”

He learned the rhythm early, starting with a pencil case in school, a small project that quietly planted the seed. Years later, it bloomed again once he picked up the hook, he didn’t look back. “When I get into something, I really get into it.” That’s how crochet became not just a hobby, but a companion.

After a brain injury, Stefan’s ability to filter out noise changed dramatically. A normal household - kids laughing, background music, the clatter of daily life - became overwhelming. “It’s like the brain’s filter just broke,” he says. “Everything gets in.”

That’s where crafting came in as it is a way to anchor his attention. When the world around him spins too fast or is too loud, his hands keep him grounded. “If my hands are busy, my mind doesn’t wander,” he says. “It’s not multitasking. It’s more like pairing something physical with something mental. It helps me to stay present.”

His biggest project so far? A mohair sweater for his daughter - soft, delicate, and as challenging to work with as it is beautiful. “You can’t undo mohair,” he laughs. “You make a mistake, you live with it.”

But even unfinished pieces have a place in Stefan’s world. Some sit in drawers for years, waiting to be picked up again when the timing’s right. And sometimes, he shifts altogether - trading yarn for wood carving or experimenting with a glass-engraving tool to create designs. “I just saw something on Instagram,” he says, eyes lighting up, “and I thought: I want to try that.”

He’s made custom-etched vases, toys, teddies for his children, and is even designing patterns of his own - little blueprints for creativity that others can follow. And when people say, “But what if I mess it up?” he’s quick to reassure: “You will. And that’s the point. That’s how you learn.”

His advice is simple:

Start small. Use manageable materials - nothing too fancy. Avoid yarns like mohair at first; they’re beautiful, but unforgiving. Choose a project you’ll want to finish, something fun - a Pokémon, a tea towel, a hat. And look at online tutorials to get started.

But most of all: don’t be afraid to fail.

Because in the world Stefan’s built - one made of soft textures, quiet concentration and gentle resilience - failure isn’t the end. It’s another stitch in the journey.

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