I’m surprisingly well-adjusted for someone with a serious mental illness, yet maladjusted enough to still fit in as an artist.

After decades managing the chaos of Bipolar disorder, I hit another snag in my health. In 2023, I became disabled from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that had steadily become worse since my diagnosis in 2013. Working a corporate job became so difficult that I feared getting fired and, thus, quit before it could happen.

Since a 9 to 5 job was no longer an option for me, I began spending any time I wasn’t stuck in bed painting and drawing. While I was excited to have the time to do my art, I was also struggling with my new identity as a disabled person. I grieved the loss of my life where I was physically capable. Those swirling and consuming emotions gave birth to a new series of personal work.

Being chronically ill can really put life into perspective, but it can also bring out the worst in someone. Outwardly, I was able to remain pleasant, or at least pretend to be. But my inner world was less forgiving. Depression, frustration and hopelessness all had me reeling. Then, surprisingly, it started to inspire me to create new artwork.

I was adjusted my studio setup around my physical limitations, and I began to paint again. The time I could spend working was very limited, though, and a problem that I still contend with today.

Being limited forced a patience with myself that I had struggled with most of my life. The feeling that I had to be productive had always plagued me. I had attached my worthiness to my output and achievements. Fibro has forced a slower tempo to my daily life and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that some days will be productive, while other days are spent in bed listening to podcasts. And that’s okay.

These ongoing struggles have breathed new meaning into my artwork. There’s a depth to it that wasn’t there before; a new mission. The work I’m creating now, whether deeply personal or darkly humorous, is created to illicit feeling. My intention is for people to have art experiences, not just be passive viewers. I make so that people can connect with me, or with others, and feel understood and less alone. I like to think of it as taking intangible emotions and turning them into tangible experiences. Whether you find the work quietly meaningful, or chaotic, or maybe even funny, the narratives are meant to draw you in; make you feel. If a pull comes from somewhere deep inside of you, then the piece did what it was intended to do.

Experience that pull with me.