This artwork represents my experiences with ME/CFS. I feel an almost constant feeling of drowning which gets worse when I am required to make more physical or mental effort.
This can also increase with stress and result in a migraine that sends me to bed, lying in a dark room envisioning what I should draw as I can’t turn on the light to draw in my sketchbook.
ME/CFS hurts, mostly in my head but can be widespread. It distracts from my daily activities. My house is quite a mess as I can only tidy a small portion each week. In my worse days the house had rats since I was unable to keep up with cleaning it.
I miss being able to spring clean in one weekend…
Cross stitch designs
The following images are cross stitch designs. They represent my feelings on ME/CFS. I did not mention it specifically in these designs as I was told by friends that they felt they could connect it to their own long term illnesses. So I allowed the interpretation to be open on these so that more people can find connection and understanding in them.
The bunny is torn but sewing itself back together. Like how I am trying to regain a semblance of myself despite this illness.
This image was originally going to be a cute sleeping bunny, but in finalising the picture I was battling pain and fatigue. So I found this wonderful quote from Samuel Butler which explained my thoughts at the time perfectly. I changed the bunnies expression and pose to match.
A lion, a symbol of strength is sewing himself together, and covered in patches. This represents how many times I have needed to patch over my life. With everything I find myself unable to do I have had to compensate, patch in some way… find new ways to cope… find new ways to do what my body no longer allows.
Finally I wanted to share my favourite artwork, not influenced by ME/CFS. I share this here to show I am still the same person I was before I became unwell, with a sense of humour and wanting to draw cute things. Its frustrating that this takes me longer and hurts more to achieve but I am trying so hard to keep this little part of me alive. Even though my world became so much smaller, my bike has been untouched for years. I read one book in the past 6 years. I sleep most of the time, but these little artworks are a sign to the world…. I am still here… for a while at least.
Stay strong friends…
Gemma
For more of my artwork here are links to my social media channels:
