Art and distraction

My creativity has been one of my main coping mechanisms through my chronic pain life. It’s the place I go to feel free, release the steam, express my pain, and to get distracted to the point of pain! But it’s worth it every time. There isn’t a lot I can achieve with my capacity so one drawing, one painting over months, one post on my blog… anything, it’s all worth it.

Art helps with many health issues, even if you can’t participate, finding a piece that connects with you can also be helpful. And it’s something you can do from your own comfy seat (if you have one, I’m yet to find one!!).

Here are a few art sites that you can either contribute to or simply subscribe to for regular, beautifully distracting, updates. They are not all related to pain, I, for example try and avoid talking or expressing pain and rather choose to paint my happiness, it just feels like I don’t get away from the issue otherwise. I also prefer to seem like the old me, it’s my target. I like saying the words ‘I painted, I did, I am going to’ without having to add the ‘it took/will take me ages’.

Soula (my art)

I’ll start with my website: soula.com.au and my blog: soula.com.au/blog

redbubble.com

Gallery of Pain. The Art of Releasing Emotional or Physical pain..Ambience of Pain.

PAIN Exhibit website

Thank you for visiting the online version of the PAIN Exhibit, which showcases approximately 100 pieces of art from people with chronic pain from across the globe.

Artwhatson

artwhatson.com.au is a meeting place for art lovers, artists and galleries. Our e-news delivers a weekly snapshot of what’s happening in Australian art.

jennierosenbaum.com
facebook.com/contemporaryfigurativeart

Jennie works to maintain the image of the nude in art and writes a blog about censorship in art. She also leads a group for artists with disabilities.

Life Beyond Pain

Personal stories of struggle, strength, and success expressed through art.
Living Beyond Pain showcases the challenges of, and responses to, chronic pain in daily life. It contains artistic expressions of success—real stories of coping, managing, and moving beyond pain.