Episode Description:

This week, Arielle and Karissa explore the powerful intersection of creativity, mental well-being, and community. They dive into a groundbreaking study on how friendships across income lines can increase social mobility—and why inclusive schools and recreational spaces matter. Then, they turn to the healing magic of crafting, revealing how simple creative acts can reduce stress, build resilience, and deepen relationships.

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Transcript:

Theme music

Arielle

Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up. I’m Arielle.

Karissa

And I’m Karissa, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.

Arielle

So hello, hello! We are back with another episode of our podcast to share the solutions from the Optimist Daily this week. How are you doing, Karissa?

Karissa

Uh, I’m doing OK. It’s a new month, so that’s very exciting—to start off a little bit fresh. But yeah, how is it going over there, Arielle?

Arielle

Well, I finally caught up to the daylight savings that you already went through in California three weeks ago…

Karissa

Yes.

Arielle

…so now I’m back on the regular schedule, which is nice. But otherwise, I guess I’ll slide into the “I’m an optimist, but…” segment. Have you been seeing these AI Miyazaki illustrations, like… in the style of Studio Ghibli?

Karissa

I have seen a little bit of discussion on this!

Arielle

Yeah. My dad actually sent me an image of him and my mom in Studio Ghibli style. And in some way it was kind of cute, because it’s… it’s like an illustration of my parents—

Karissa

Right.

Arielle

—but on the other hand, it kind of freaks me out! I totally agree with Miyazaki—he’s a co-founder of Studio Ghibli—on his disgust at AI art. And yeah, it just feels a little uncanny. Maybe I’m going to push people’s buttons when I say this, but I just feel like… AI art shouldn’t be the focus of AI technologies, because art is such a human thing. And to pass it over to a machine feels a little soulless. And I guess that’s what I’m not so optimistic about.

Karissa

I think I kind of feel the same way this week, because we were discussing this before the recording. AI can be pretty scary—and it’s great for a lot of different things—but yeah, like you’re saying, when it comes to art, it can get a little weird. And I’ve seen a lot of people’s fears, and I share the same fear about AI taking over so many jobs. But at least for right now, that human touch and… and all these very creative things can’t really be replicated by AI models at the moment. But I mean, that could change, so…

Arielle

Obviously, AI can do a lot in terms of medical advancements, and I think it can definitely catch patterns better than maybe the human eye can do.

Karissa

Yeah.

Arielle

But yeah, let’s keep it in that kind of sphere, and let’s leave the creativity and art to humans.

Karissa

I agree. That’s my take too. OK, now that we got that out of the way, let’s share some real solutions that are going on in the world today.

Arielle

Do you mind if I go first?

Karissa

Yeah. Let’s hear it.

Arielle

OK. So today I chose the article titled Friendships across income lines boost social mobility, which is of course about a fascinating study highlighting how friendships between different income groups can significantly improve chances of upward social mobility.

Karissa

OK, so you’re saying making friends from different economic backgrounds could actually help me earn more?

Arielle

Yeah, surprisingly, yes. A big study from researchers at the Behavioural Insights Team, Meta, and Stanford University looked into exactly this topic. They analyzed anonymized Facebook data from about 20 million people in the UK and matched it with government records to figure out how these friendships impact social mobility.

Karissa

Twenty million people is pretty substantial of a sample size. What exactly did they discover?

Arielle

They found that kids from lower-income families who grew up in neighborhoods where friendships crossed income boundaries ended up making about £5,100— which is roughly $6,600 USD—more each year as adults, compared to those from less integrated areas.

Karissa

Oh wow, that’s quite the difference. So where and how do these friendships form in the first place?

Arielle

The study pointed out three key places: schools, universities, and recreational groups like amateur sports teams. Basically, anywhere you naturally mix and bond over shared experiences, income differences become less important.

Karissa

Yeah, totally. That makes a lot of sense. And sharing wins and losses on the soccer field or working on group projects at school probably helps people bond, right?

Arielle

Exactly. Dr. Antonio Silva, who led the study at the Behavioural Insights Team, emphasized that this “economic connectedness” was a major factor influencing future income—second only to income itself.

Karissa

OK, well, did the researchers look into why some neighborhoods do a better job at connecting people across economic lines?

Arielle

Yes, they did, actually. Researchers compared wealthy areas like Kingston upon Thames and Canterbury. Even though both are affluent, Kingston had significantly more friendships crossing income groups. When the team visited these neighborhoods—without knowing beforehand—they could easily spot which community was more integrated just by chatting with residents and observing local interactions.

Karissa

Oh wow, that’s really interesting that it’s noticeable even to outsiders. Now earning more money is great and everything, but obviously it’s not all that matters. So did these friendships have benefits beyond economic?

Arielle

That’s a good point. They absolutely did. The research also showed that having more cross-income friendships led people to report higher levels of happiness and trust. Plus, overall, the UK tends to be less economically segregated than places like the US, with nearly half of friendships crossing economic boundaries.

Karissa

Yeah. So what’s next? Are researchers thinking about ways to encourage more of these?

Arielle

Yes, they are already considering how their findings could shape new policies. For example, encouraging mixed-income community activities, inclusive sports programs, or designing schools to naturally foster friendships between students from diverse backgrounds. They also want to investigate whether larger schools—which typically have more diverse student bodies—help create these friendships more naturally.

Karissa

Well, it sounds like these friendships could really make a difference—not just individually, but could lift a whole community. And I really like this point about it being in the UK. You mentioned a little bit earlier, Arielle, how in the US it’s different. And I think that’s huge, especially with the discussion about wanting to have some new, more private schools in the United States, and all these talks about having vouchers to send kids to private schools and not investing in our public school funds. Because, I think if everybody—regardless of income—was able to go have the same opportunities and be in the same mix, we’d find that we have a lot more similarities than differences.

Arielle

Mmm. Yeah, that’s so true. But we’re not trying to tell our listeners to purposefully try to befriend wealthy people with the goal of getting rich.

Karissa

Yeah, exactly.

Arielle

But these findings are certainly worth looking at if we want to create diverse communities that in turn become stronger, happier, and more prosperous in general.

Karissa

Thank you for sharing these findings. Well, I guess if you don’t mind, I’ll transition over to my solution, which is something that could relate to doing things with the community or other people.

Arielle

Yeah, of course. Let’s hear it.

Karissa

So I’ll just get into the title. It’s called The healing power of crafting: how creativity supports mental health and connection. So we kind of have this throughline today of community and creativity being such a human thing, you know? And for creativity, there’s just something almost magical about making something with your hands. Whether it’s just cutting paper for a collage, knitting a scarf, or shaping clay into a coffee mug, crafting has a way of pulling us into the present moment. And that’s exactly where its healing power begins. It seems like crafting has been enjoying a well-deserved renaissance lately.

Arielle

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I remember not too long ago, we shared a solution that talked about how crafting could bring people more life satisfaction than their jobs.

Karissa

Yeah, exactly. So it really shows that it’s quite the powerful tool. And in a world full of uncertainty and stress, people are turning to creative hobbies—not just for fun, but as a way to cope. I know I am. I was kind of talking about that last week with my paint-by-numbers moment I’m having. But the psychological benefits are very real, so that is great to hear.

Licensed psychotherapist Elise Robinson says that crafting is akin to a meditative activity. You’re really engaged in it. You’re really focusing on the task, which means you’re very present—and that kind of focus helps calm the stressed-out mind, quiet racing thoughts, and lower cortisol, the stress hormone.

Arielle

Yeah, I know. Crafting—especially crochet—is something I turn to when I feel stressed. And it tends to kind of help me feel more accomplished, I guess you could say. You know, a lot of us work in information jobs, and our successes are kind of abstract or conceptual—they’re numbers on a spreadsheet, which is great and everything. But when I crochet something and I finish it, then I get this really fulfilled feeling of being able to look at, hold, and touch the thing that I’ve accomplished.

Karissa

Right, that’s such a good point. Because yeah, as you said, so many of us are in jobs where you don’t have a tangible, physical thing you can see. But when we’re immersed in creative activity, our brains can shift away from the anxiety and into something more grounding.

So Meagan Mahaffy—an artist and founder of the wellness-focused creative collective Art Gurl—encourages people to use even small moments of crafting as a tool. She says that instead of forcing yourself to meditate when it’s not working, you can pick up a pen and do just five minutes of doodling. Even if it’s just scribbling, your brain is busy thinking about the movement of your pen and what you’re creating.

And kind of a tangent off that too: in seventh grade, my history teacher was famous for having these huge notebooks. She was always like, “Color is so important,” and then she would make us color in and make images and pictures for everything to really help us learn. And I definitely felt like I was learning a lot better when I was adding that color and those creative little images along with it.

Arielle

Wow, your seventh-grade history teacher sounds really cool.

Karissa

Yeah, she was pretty cool—looking back.

But anyway, beyond stress relief, crafting helps us build a sense of self-trust and accomplishment, which is exactly what you were saying earlier with your crocheting. Creating something from nothing—whether it’s a drawing, a collage, a handmade pot, or something out of crochet—helps strengthen self-efficacy and the belief that we are capable of making things happen.

When crafting becomes part of our routine, we start to approach life with more confidence and compassion for ourselves. Studies also suggest that creative expression improves emotional regulation and flexibility during stressful times.

And another awesome point from this article is that crafting is also a very safe space for learning how to handle mistakes. As Robinson puts it, we’ll have increased tolerance for messing up. And life is messy—so that’s a wonderful thing. Whether it’s trying to figure out a tricky stitch or reworking a pattern, each moment of trial and error builds problem-solving skills and emotional resilience. I think that’s something very important to do in this low-stakes, joyful environment.

And of course, the title of this article was talking about the healing power and connection of crafting and creativity. So one of the most beautiful aspects is that it connects us not just to ourselves but to others. From community art nights to pottery classes to knitting circles, crafting really has a unique way of bringing people together. Conversations start naturally as people share what they’re working on, and those conversations often lead to deeper, more meaningful relationships.

I would also say that crafting something for someone can be a great way to deepen a connection as well. Arielle, I know you like to crochet for your loved ones, because I remember last year we were working diligently on some cat-like little shelters—huts—for your friends.

Arielle

Oh yeah (laughs)

Karissa

Yeah! And I know you enjoyed doing that. And I think also too—I mean, I’m speaking for you, sorry, Arielle—but you were working on a project with your partner’s mom on some baby hats too?

Arielle

Yeah, OK. So the cat pods are the cat hats I made as gifts, and that was really, really nice. It was fun to receive the videos later of their cats enjoying what I made.

The baby hats and cocoons—honestly, most of them I make kind of in partnership with my partner’s mom, because she’s a doula. But I do sell those, so it’s a bit of a for-profit thing (laughs). But whenever any one of my friends has a baby—which is becoming a more frequent occurrence—then I do whip up a little baby cocoon and hat for them.

Karissa

Love it. Yes. I mean, there’s just nothing quite like receiving a handmade gift, so I think that’s awesome.

Finding a shared creative space can be especially powerful for anyone struggling to build community or feel isolated. So crafting—whether you’re doing it with other people or giving it to other people—offers not only social connection but a sense of purpose and belonging, for sure.

Arielle

Hmm. Alright, Karissa. So I know we are pretty crafty people already, but do you have any tips for those out there who are struggling to tap into their crafty side?

Karissa

Yeah. Well, the best part of crafting is that you don’t need to be an artist—or even particularly good at crafting—to start. Consistency is key, not skill level. So daily doodles, simple paper collages, or even coloring pages can all be part of a supportive creative routine.

And you know, it doesn’t take a lot of money to get involved. There are so many different crafts out there. I would just think of it as a form of everyday wellness. Having a creative ritual to help you feel more grounded, capable, and connected is so important.

And as Robinson puts it, every single person deserves to feel happy and confident in themselves. They deserve to feel worthwhile. And crafting can really bring that to light.

Arielle

Yeah. And I love that you don’t have to be good at it—sometimes if you’re pretty bad at it, then it can be funny as well.

Karissa

Exactly. (laughs)

Arielle

Yeah. Well, thank you so much for sharing. I know it’s definitely gotten me in the mood to pick up my crochet hooks again.

Karissa

Yeah, love it.

Arielle

In the meantime, we do have other solutions that were published on The Optimist Daily this week. You should definitely check them out. They include:

Karissa

Feeling behind in life? Here’s how to deal with success envy

New ‘no-fishing zones’ offer hope for endangered African penguins

UK targets 10 percent pesticide reduction by 2030 to protect pollinators

Creative Easter egg alternatives that are fun, festive, and egg-free

Things are so expensive in the United States, so—

Arielle

Yeah. We also have:

AI tool developed by Cambridge researchers could speed up celiac disease diagnosis, which is a great use of AI;

Nine new tardigrade species discovered with help from Danish schoolchildren;

Paris votes to pedestrianise 500 more streets in push for greener city;

and New cat color unlocked: ‘salty liquorice’ sheds light on feline genetics.

Karissa

I’m gonna have to see a picture of a salty liquorice cat—love it.

Well, if you want to start your day off right, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter. Get our solutions straight to your inbox.

Arielle

We also have a lot more on our social channels. You can find us @optimistdaily on all of our platforms, including Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest—the only different one is on X; on there we are @OdeToOptimism.

Karissa

And we are a small team of optimists working hard to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission of putting optimism into the world, click on the link in the show notes to find out.

Arielle

And support doesn’t always have to be financial—you could just recommend our podcast to a friend, leave a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forward a link to a friend, or play one of our episodes in the background while you’re crafting with your friends. Anything like that would be a really big help for us.

Karissa

Yeah. Thank you, as always, Arielle, for being here with me today to share these solutions. And looking forward to being back next week for some more!

Arielle

Ditto. I hope all of our listeners and readers have a great weekend. Bye!

Karissa

Bye!