Market culture is huge in Melbourne and The Rose St. Artists’ Market is one of the best hidden gems when it comes to the finest arts, crafts and handmade goods, with many frequenting this weekend wonder year round.

As part of this year’s Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, Christian and the team at The Rose St. Artists’ Markets orchestrated a day of fashion workshops where we could be the designer. In a society where our creative expression can often become contrived, an afternoon out in the glorious sun at the markets is a fantastic way to reawaken the imagination and let your creative juices flow.

The day was coined Crafted and aimed at unleashing inner creativity at all ages. The seven one-hour workshops were run by stall owners at the Market so they could share not only their knowledge but also their passion of what they do. The relaxed outdoor environment was a great way to make new friends, chat about crafts and even share different art experiences.

The workshops offered were in macrame, crochet, terrarium making, DIY lampshades, jewellery making, traditional South American handwoven necklace making and tapestry weaving. Women, men and children participated throughout the day and proved that arts and crafts transcend gender and age.

The beauty of these workshops was how children between the ages of three and 11 could participate and release their creative energy. Being a young woman leading a very busy lifestyle it was nice to sit back and observe how the younger generation are so free-willed and uninhibited when it comes to creative expression. Their artistic process was simple yet methodical and really pushed the boundaries of ordinary arts and crafts. It was incredible to see parents getting involved with their children too and encouraging tactile experiences, which I believe are far more enriching for their development.

It was quite eye-opening for me personally to take part in these various workshops and be given creative freedom with colour, layout, style and execution. I consider myself a creative individual but at times I found myself overthinking the process. What The Rose St. Artists’ Markets have done is created an outlet for men and women to get in touch with the creative side of their brain and trust in their instinctive abilities.

Engaging in bite-sized arts and craft workshops like these refuel that inner desire to step away from technologically based gadgets and exercise our mind in a way that we may have forgotten. Be sure to get to this workshop next year but in the meantime, try and find a creative outlet that fulfils your soul and your mind.