Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of
Crafting by the Numbers—
October 10th: Celebrate World Mental Health Day
The Path of Positivity turned 13 this year! While the number 13 has long carried a reputation for being unlucky, we’re choosing to embrace it as a
symbol of growth, perseverance, and creative courage. After all, 13
years of inspiration, kindness, and community feels pretty lucky to us.
Since this year marks an important number for us, we've decided that
NUMBERS should be the overall focus in our theme for 2026 (
click here if you'd like to read more in depth about our overall theme for 2026)!
Throughout
the year, our monthly card challenges will be inspired by specific
numbers. Whether numbers speak to you mathematically, symbolically, spiritually,
or simply as a design prompt, we hope this theme invites you to think a
little differently, stretch your imagination, and—most of all—have
fun. Let’s make this a year where numbers truly count.
For October, we're turning our attention to the number 10! And, because October 10th is World Mental Health Day, we're giving this month's number a particularly meaningful twist. Ten is often associated with ideas such as completeness, wholeness, order, and reaching an important milestone. That makes it a wonderful number for a month centred around kindness, encouragement, connection, and reminding someone that they matter.
World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October each year and provides an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and encourage support for people affected by mental health difficulties. While our challenge isn't about creating a card that needs to be specifically about mental illness, it is a wonderful opportunity to think about the power of a small, positive gesture. A handmade card can say, "I'm thinking of you," "You are important," "You've got this," or simply, "I'm here."
Designers often look to symbolism to add another layer of meaning to their work, and ten has some fascinating connections across cultures, religions, mathematics, and everyday life. Because we normally count in groups of ten, the number can naturally feel like a point of completion—a full set, a milestone, or the end of one stage before beginning another. We have ten fingers and ten toes, our decimal number system is based on ten, and we often use ten as a convenient way of measuring progress, achievement, or a complete collection.
In ancient Greek philosophy, ten had a particularly interesting place in the Pythagorean tradition. The Pythagoreans regarded ten as especially significant and associated it with the tetractys, a triangular arrangement of ten points representing the first four numbers: one, two, three and four. Because these numbers add up to ten, the tetractys gave the number a sense of unity and completeness. For creative people, this makes ten a lovely number to play with visually—ten points, ten shapes, ten stars, ten flowers, or ten little details arranged into a pleasing pattern.
Ten also has important connections in Jewish tradition. The Ten Commandments are perhaps the best-known example, forming a central part of Jewish religious tradition. There is another meaningful connection through the Ten Days of Repentance, the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These days are traditionally associated with reflection, repentance, and making positive changes. That idea of pausing, reflecting, and considering how we can do better fits beautifully with our October focus on mental well-being and encouragement.
Christianity also gives us several significant connections to the number ten. The Ten Commandments are also a central part of Christian teaching, providing principles concerned with our relationship with God and with how we treat other people. The New Testament also includes the Parable of the Ten Virgins, in which ten women await the bridegroom, with the story highlighting the importance of being prepared and watchful. Together, these examples make ten a number that can suggest responsibility, reflection, readiness, and living thoughtfully.
In Islam, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are regarded as a particularly blessed period. They are associated with increased worship, good deeds, charity, remembrance, and reflection, and include the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha. Once again, we see ten connected with a period of purposeful action and making the most of an important opportunity.
Ten also has an interesting place in Sikh tradition. Sikhism was guided by ten human Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak and ending with Guru Gobind Singh. After the tenth Guru, the Guruship passed to the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism. Rather than ten representing a particular universal quality in Sikh teaching, this is a beautiful example of how a number can become meaningful through history and tradition.
In Chinese culture, ten can also suggest completeness and perfection. The Chinese expression "十全十美" (shí quán shí měi) is commonly understood as describing something that is complete and perfect. This gives us another lovely connection for our challenge: the idea that something doesn't have to be enormous or complicated to feel complete. Sometimes it is the thoughtful details that make a project feel just right.
And that brings us back to our October theme.
Mental health and emotional well-being can sometimes feel like enormous subjects, but encouragement doesn't have to be complicated. A small act of kindness can remind someone that they are seen, valued, and cared about. A handmade card might arrive on a difficult day, celebrate a small victory, offer encouragement during a challenging time, or simply brighten someone's afternoon.
In creative design, there are countless ways to incorporate ten into your project. You might use ten flowers, ten gems, ten stars, ten hearts, ten leaves, ten butterflies, or ten other embellishments. Try arranging ten elements around a focal image, placing them in a circle, creating a border of ten repeated shapes, or using ten tiny details hidden throughout your design.
You could also let the number inspire the sentiment or subject of your project. Create a card with ten reasons why someone is special, ten things you love about a friend, ten little reminders to keep going, or ten words of encouragement. A journal page could feature ten things you're grateful for, ten things that make you smile, ten positive affirmations, or ten small moments worth remembering.
You might create a "10 things I love about you" card for a partner, friend, child, parent, grandparent or someone else in your life that is important to you. Try "10 reasons you're amazing", "10 reasons to smile", "10 things that make you special", or "10 reminders that you've got this". A birthday card for someone turning ten would obviously fit beautifully, as would a tenth wedding anniversary, or another meaningful milestone involving the number ten.
Don't forget that ten can be incorporated into the design without being the main subject. Use ten pearls around a sentiment, ten sequins scattered across a background, ten leaves around a floral image, ten stars in a night sky, or ten little hearts tucked into a patterned border. You could even use ten coordinating colours, ten layers, ten die-cut shapes, or ten stamped images if that suits your crafting style.
For something more interactive, why not make a card that opens to reveal ten little messages? You could create ten flaps, pockets, tags, or panels, each containing a positive thought or encouraging message. A mixed-media project could include ten meaningful words, while a scrapbook page could feature ten photographs celebrating happy memories.
This month, we're encouraging you to use the number ten as inspiration while creating something positive, uplifting, motivational, kind, or comforting. Think about the people in your life who might need a little extra encouragement right now. Maybe someone is starting a new job, facing a difficult season, recovering from a setback, celebrating an achievement, feeling lonely, or simply having one of those days when a little kindness would mean a lot.
Your project doesn't have to mention mental health at all. It can be a cheerful birthday card, a supportive friendship card, a thank-you, a celebration of a milestone, a journal entry about gratitude, or a mixed-media project filled with positive words. The important thing is the feeling behind it.
Ten gives us so many possibilities: ten little reasons to smile, ten reminders that someone matters, ten beautiful details, ten encouraging words, or simply ten tiny touches that make your project special.
So this October, let's use ten as a reminder that completeness doesn't have to mean perfection. Sometimes being there for someone, offering encouragement, or sending a little handmade kindness is more than enough.
Remember,
the twist is completely optional and you don't need to follow it in
order to win. However, in order to be considered eligible for this
month's goodies, remember that general types of projects/posts will not
qualify for the honours and prize UNLESS they are also positive, inspirational,
motivational or encouraging in some nature. Additionally, even if a project may qualify as positive, if your post
promotes negativity, hatred or anything of an abhorrent nature, your
project will be disqualified. Honours and Prize include:
- $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
- A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.
Ewa, you are also
entitled to a neat and unique personalized badge for your blog as the Random Winner for Challenge #143 which you can find below... 
