I recently spent time doing a paint by numbers as a bit of mindfulness self-care. I have been going to a number of painting workshops over the last few months and I have really enjoyed creating.

My most recent project of a cat and butterfly got me thinking about life and living with chronic illness. We start off as blank canvases but as we go through life, the experiences we have add colour and definition to our lives. We learn and adapt as best we can. The colour and definition can be many things, adverse childhood experiences, trauma, abuse, loss of loved ones, jobs, relationship issues, to name a few but if we continue to persevere towards healing those colours and defintions start to come together to produce something quite striking.

And so it is when we are navigating a life with chronic illness whatever that maybe. We fight for diagnosis, for recognition that we are struggling with something. We fight to prove that we are ill enough for disability payments and yet well enough to work or do life. We try medication after medication, treatment after treatment. Eventually we can find what works for us and although at first glance it looks messy, as we make progress and take a step back we begin to see the beauty that a life with chronic illness has to potential to look like.

We chronic illness warriors have plenty to add to life and society regardless of what society or unconscious biases may tell us. So keep going with your painting, find what works for you and celebrate just how amazing you really are.