I wrote this a couple of months as a submission for Issue 5 of the incredible Drawn Poorly Zine. Drawn Poorly is a Manchester-based project providing arts opportunities focused on chronic illness, disability and mental health conditions. Issue 5 invited people to submit words, art and photography that explored the theme of “FOMO” Fear OfContinueContinue reading “Ticking the boxes”
Tag Archives: chronic conditions
Abrasion
I wrote this essay-style post as a submission for a zine. It wasn’t quite the right fit for them but it’s a response to the theme of ‘abrasion’ as it relates to the body and mind. Abrasion as a pain, a wound, friction, the scraping away of skin, a spot of raw flesh, a badly healedContinueContinue reading “Abrasion”
It’s a mixed bag | SICK ZINE
I was lucky enough to have a short submission to SICK ZINE accepted, see below for a scanned entry the full version of the entire zine will be available online shortly and I’ll post the link. This was part of a project led by Lara Plavčak during a zine residency at Fish Factory in Cornwall.ContinueContinue reading “It’s a mixed bag | SICK ZINE”
Summer sunflowers
I really like sunflowers. Compared to most plants, I like to think sunflowers are pretty ambitious. They come out about once a year and are capable of growing up to 300cm – that’s nearly double my height. Aside from the thrill of cultivating some wild cress heads with my class mates in primary school, IContinueContinue reading “Summer sunflowers”
Mind the gap
In the same way our ‘shoulder bone is connected to the neck bone’ and our ‘neck bone is connected to the head bone,’ the physical symptoms of any condition are linked to our mental wellbeing. Our minds are connected to our bodies and physical health has huge ramifications on our emotional state and vice versa.ContinueContinue reading “Mind the gap”
Voice and identity
Pretty much everyone cringes when they hear recorded versions of their voice. It’s hugely different to how it sounds in your mind. My voice has always sounded ‘normal’ to me. It’s been steady and regular and it’s developed alongside my vocabulary and life experience. Speaking objectively, my voice is a little higher than average. It’sContinueContinue reading “Voice and identity”
Neighbours as a meditation tool
Yes, they may be fictional and 10,538 miles away from me but the residents of Ramsay Street are ‘good neighbours and good friends’ to me, just like the theme tune says. I’m fully aware that it’s not cool at all to like Neighbours but I can’t stop watching it. Those 25 minutes of pure, slow-pacedContinueContinue reading “Neighbours as a meditation tool”
House of cards
I think I’ve only ever tried to build a house of cards, or even a two storey small pyramid of cards when I’ve been somewhere pretty grey, dull, rainy and boring. At the moment, my health is boring me so I’m going to describe it as a shoddy pack of cards…no grand designs here! AtContinueContinue reading “House of cards”
Adjusting
adjustverb UK /(MAKE CHANGES): to change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable: e.g.”If the chair is too high you can adjust it to suit you.” I’ve been practicing the art of adjustment lately as part of my ongoing efforts to adapt to the ‘new normal’ I’m presented with. I’m trying to adjust to the fact that I’m doing ‘alright for Liv’ rather thanContinueContinue reading “Adjusting”
Now it’s the vocal cords
“On the first day of Christmas my body gave to meeeeee…One floppy windpipe…Two misbehaving vocal cords… Zero gold rings, some tricky severe asthma and a trip to see Speech and Language Therapyyyyy.” Most people slide in to December defrosting their car and making their way through an advent calendar. Don’t get me wrong, I’m feeling prettyContinueContinue reading “Now it’s the vocal cords”
anomaly/anomaly 