I don't enjoy talking about my pain. I don't want to be a Debbie-downer. But my marketing team said that I needed to include everything that makes my art unique. Yikes. Here goes nothing.
Suffering daily -- I guess that does have a massive influence on my art.
When asked about the most excruciating pain I've felt since being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, memories of nurses packing my abscess came to mind. With just a few ibuprofen beforehand, it was horrifying. I still have PTSD. If you're curious, here's a video on How to Pack an Abscess.
But physical trauma is just one piece of the painful pie that is Crohn's. There's also the psychological pain of knowing that I'll most likely never be healthy again.
The glory days of eating Sonic chili cheese dogs and spiking volleyballs for hours-on-end are now a distant memory. Oof. That sounds dramatic. But, hey, the marketing team said to bare my soul to you guys. Sorry.
Sure, remission is possible. I think I've been in it maybe once in 9 years.
But in the back of my mind, I know Crohn's Disease is here to say. To use a cliché from 2020 - it's my new normal.
Phew. Ok. Time to stop being a buzzkill.
I'm excited about my latest project, Year 9. The story doesn't end with pain, and it's certainly not a whoa-is-me situation. It's a collection of work that is honest yet hopeful. It's a reflection on what life is like living with a chronic illness like Crohn's, and it's a chance for me to encourage others in similar situations of suffering to see hope beyond their sickness.
Stay tuned. I'll be previewing this exclusive collection across all the interweb channels and giving a rare, intimate view of my feelings. Which, to those that know me, might be somewhat shocking.