Article contributed by Yakira Goldsberry
Sometimes there are people who seem to just have a bucketload of bad luck. Why, we can never really say. But such seems to be the case in Kelly Williams Brown’s memoir, Easy Crafts for the Insane. In the book, Brown illustrates just how equally ironic and painful her life was during what she dubs her ‘700 Bad Days’ in which she breaks three limbs, gets divorced, loses her cat, and falls into a debilitating depression. And sprinkled throughout are crafts she used during those dark days that kept her going.
While the book is said to be a ‘mostly funny memoir’ I didn’t find a lot of Brown’s humour to be all that funny. There were some hilarious moments that made me smirk or snort, but I think at times Brown took her humour a little too far. Like when she talked some very dark subjects with what seemed to be an almost flippant attitude. This grated on my nerves a little, but overall, it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading. And just a warning, there are moments in the book that could be considered very triggering, like when she talks about her suicide attempt, though, thankfully, she puts a warning before that chapter and doesn’t go too much into detail. Though, this may just be because my sense of humour is not the same as hers. Others may find what she writes to be completely hilarious. It all depends on the person.
Really, the book was well written enough that I was able to blaze right through it. Brown’s writing is both light and engaging, almost like she’s having a conversation with you instead of telling you a history lesson. I thought that to be a very clever writing technique. I also enjoyed the little crafting tutorials sprinkled throughout the pages, and her sarcastic and witty instructions. While I haven’t tried any of them out myself, it did very much put me into the crafting mood. But the subject of crafting isn’t as prevalent as I had expected. Still, it was overall entertaining, and I did really feel empathetic toward her through most of the book.
I would have given this book I higher review if Brown hadn’t brought in so much political drama. She mentions her hatred for former President Trump a lot and while I understand that she didn’t like him, her overall reaction and attitude seemed a bit melodramatic, especially as she herself had said that any changes made in the country didn’t really affect her all that much. Brown also made some political similarities to her current life struggles that were somewhat inappropriate.
The one thing that bothered me the most was her callus attitude toward someone who had told her they had PTSD and she basically told him that therapy wasn’t necessary and he could ‘get over it’ as if it were the common cold, going so far as to say that he shouldn’t even have it. This really rankled me due to very personal reasons. I thought that she was being very rude and inconsiderate of others’ feelings at many points and this moment really did it for me. However, this is my personal opinion, and I can’t tell others what to think and am only making assumptions based on the information given.
Easy Crafts for the Insane gets a 6/10 from me for its oddly contradictory view of mental illness and triggering subjects not handled in the best way. Still, the book is a quick and easy read that really showcases just how mental illness can affect the brain in a relatable way, the struggles that those with mental illness can go through, and how outside circumstances can really affect recovery.
Easy Crafts for the Insane is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 6th 2021.
Will you be picking up Easy Crafts for the Insane? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
From the New York Times bestselling author of Adulting comes a story about how to make something when you’re capable of nothing.
Kelly Williams Brown had 700 Bad Days. Her marriage collapsed, she broke three limbs in separate and unrelated incidents, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she fell into a deep depression that ended in what could delicately be referred to as a “rest cure” at an inpatient facility. Before that, she had several very good years: she wrote a bestselling book, spoke at NASA, had a beautiful wedding, and inspired hundreds of thousands of readers to live as grown-ups in an often-screwed-up world, though these accomplishments mostly just made her feel fraudulent.
One of the few things that kept her moving forward was, improbably, crafting. Not Martha Stewart-perfect crafting, either–what could be called “simple,” “accessible” or, perhaps, “rustic” creations were the joy and accomplishments she found in her worst days. To craft is to set things right in the littlest of ways; no matter how disconnected you feel, you can still fold a tiny paper star, and that’s not nothing.
In Easy Crafts for the Insane, crafting tutorials serve as the backdrop of a life dissolved, then glued back together. Surprising, humane, and utterly unforgettable, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the unexpected, messy coping mechanisms we use to find ourselves again.
