Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

It’s fitting that today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day,

as I sit awake at 4 AM,in the throes of a flare up.

It’s been a rough weekend in the chronic pain

department. I thought I’d take a minute to talk about

my illness and how art helps me through.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that

involves a myriad of symptoms, most notably

widespread pain and fatigue. It means waking

up everyday to a body that fights me at every turn,

never knowing what challenges the day will

bring. It means pain that may dull, but never stops,

and often strengthens to leaving me bedridden.

Pain that burns, stings, aches, and itches, in my

muscles,my bones, my nerves. It means fatigue

that is so strong, it feels like gravity has doubled

and I’m laying with bricks on my chest. It causes

anxiety, depression, sleep disruptions, and grief for

a life I feel like I’ve lost. I have to watch my world

and my abilities shrink due to health limitations.

Every. Single. Day.

This is where art becomes my lifeline.

It offers me an outlet to express complex emotions,

to bring a little joy to darker days, and to reclaim

my sense of self.

Art has no preconceived notions of what I should

be able to do. It does not care how productive I am.

It sits with me through the pain without judgement.

It doesn’t require the same energy as other tasks.

It lets me work in my own time and create something

tangible and beautiful. I can create from my bed

and explore all sorts of magical things.

Art as therapy is nothing new. But, it is something

that helps me through the hardest times. It’s not

about creating something perfect. It’s about creating

something that calls to me or something that brings

me joy. It’s about being able to let go for a minute and

focus outside of my body. It’s a way to heal, in a body

that can’t. My conditions may be lifelong, but so is

my love for art and the catharsis it brings.

Fibromyalgia greatly impacts every aspect of my life.

It’s invisible and easy to dismiss. Just do your best to

remember, you never know what someone is going

through on the inside. People with the most pain learn

to mask to keep everyone around them comfortable.

We can’t often let out what we really feel and to have

someone who listens means the world to us.

All of this to say, I’m lucky to have an amazing support

system through it all. I have so much support in my

family and friends, and I advocate for myself.

But, where there is still pain to sort through,

art picks up the pieces.

 

I created some artwork just for today.

This piece represents a fight towards something beautiful.

It incorporates the purple butterfly and ribbon that

symbolize chronic pain. The triskele to represent the

connection of mind, body, and spirit within this battle.

And, purple opals for hope and protection.