This is one of the drawings that I’ve been slowly working on as of late. I started it a few years ago, but my fleeting interests and endless new inspirations for artwork meant that it got put aside and forgotten about for a while. I apologize for the low quality and blur: the picture was taken on a very old phone.

The reference that I used for this drawing is a stunning photograph by the incredible Sandra Jolly at www.sandrajolly.com. Please do check out her work!

As I’ve mentioned before on here, I love drawing. It has been—and will continue to be—one of the most productive and meaningful ways that I’ve had of coping with my disorder and the adversities that come with it.

Frustratingly, as I’ve gotten sicker it has gradually become a very slow and difficult process as I can no longer do it for very long, or very often. Previously this was primarily due to my chronic pain, but now my eyes—and the effect their various conditions have on my vision—have increasingly become another hindrance.

I worry for the day that I lose this outlet altogether: the day when my vision may be so bad that I can no longer see well enough to draw at all, or when my fingers have become so unstable that they can no longer hold a pencil. Writing has always been my other major coping aid, and these things have equally been impacting my ability to do that as well.

But, despite the frustration of such slow bursts of productivity with my art and writing, I can still do both sometimes, and for that I’m so incredibly grateful.

– Katie