Dealing with chronic illness is a creative project: chronic healing.Chronic healing is
dancing with the chronic illness monster.–Kate Wolfe-Jenson
Kate Wolfe-Jenson is a creativity celebrant who blogs at http://www.wolfe-jenson.com and http://www.journeydancing.com. She founded Creative Experiments, Inc. since creative experiments had helped her get through some tough times, and she wanted to encourage others to find hope through creativity. Kate also has multiple sclerosis.
As she has lost her ability to use her hands for her art, she decided she would learn to draw with her mouth. She had only been able to “splash paint around” with her hands before she took this on. The picture above is the first monarch butterfly she drew as part of her 100 Monarchs project. She hopes to create Monarchs for MS so that others with MS can create representations of monarch butterflies to sell. The proceeds would be split between her MS chapter and Save Our Monarchs.
Her story is inspirational because it reminds me that if you are a creative person, chronic illness or disability does not and cannot take that away from you. You might have to do things differently than you have in the past or find another method of creative expression, but creativity will find a way. Her illness hasn’t changed who she is in her heart and soul. She is still an artist.
I think that’s a pretty good thing to be. It’s also a pretty good way to change the world when you’re limited in the ways you can do that. I’m glad I discovered her and her work.
Finding Our Voices Together 