EP. 334: Why Crafting Isn’t Cute—It’s Critical with Vickie Howell

ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

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Vickie Howell discovered something most people never do: the exact moment her brain went quiet. It happened when her hands were busy with yarn and needles, long before she had words for ADHD or understood why making things felt like medicine.

Vickie has spent over two decades at the forefront of the modern craft movement. She’s best known as the host of Knitty Gritty on HGTV, but her reach goes far beyond the screen. She’s written bestselling books, launched hit YouTube shows and PBS segments, and recently founded StitchWell Social Club, a membership community that connects creativity with nervous system care. At 51, when she was diagnosed with ADHD, everything came into focus—her rocky school years, the urgency behind her creative drive, and the systems she built to stay afloat in a world that didn’t always make room for brains like hers.

In this episode, Vickie and Tracy unpack the connection between fiber arts and focus, between making things and making peace with your own mind. Vickie shares how handcrafts became her regulation tool, how bullet points saved her writing life, and why crafting deserves a seat at the mental health table. They also talk about imposter syndrome, building a business around your strengths, and what it means to get a diagnosis later in life—and realize you were never actually “lazy” or “scattered,” just misunderstood.

Whether you knit or not, Vickie’s story will leave you thinking differently about how we soothe ourselves, how we process the world, and how creativity can become a powerful form of self-advocacy.

Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickie-howell-0592b55
Website: https://vickiehowell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickiehowell

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