Tuesday 25 November 2014

Follow your own advice, you were probably onto something


It happens so often, we give advice to a friend who is sad, sick or overtired but we don't hear the genuine advice that is coming out of our own mouths. You tell them to be kind to themselves. Take some time to do what they love. Talk to someone. Recharge and do something different. It may help you turn that corner you're stuck on and get back on track. These are are all cliches but cliches can exist for a reason, they come from lived experience. A shared experience that we all need to be reminded of sometimes, myself included.

This past week has been a difficult one with many peaks and troughs, which is why you missed out on meeting this charming man last week. Despite some progress my pain took over and I ground to a halt. I reverted to a routine of appointments, physiotherapy and a lot of lying down. It may sound like I basically kept it together but really this was just surviving. I am an artist, I need to be creative and make things. Despite the pain I was bored, but fortunately I remembered what I'd said to people in my life so many times before and to you dear reader not so long ago and jumped back into it. I finished some small crochet projects and started some sketches and this week got right back on track. 

In that fashion I'd like to introduce you to Mr Hedgehog, a potential neighbour for the Rabbits, he is looking for a new home for Mrs Hedgehog and their new bundles of needly babies. I think he will find the Whimsical Woodland a safe and happy place for his new family. There are, after all very few forests with a tiger guarding them.



Mr Hedgehog has just had a litter of babies with Mrs Hedgehog
And they're looking for a safe place to build a little to nest.
It looks like he likes the look of the Whimsical Woodland.




Next week we will meet more new friends and perhaps Mr Hedgehog will bring his family to live with the rabbits. Until then keep on creating while following your routine, it's makes travelling around those sharp, unexpected corners smoother.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Productivity Through Creativity


Some days symptoms flare and plans you had meticulously arranged so that everything was correctly paced fly at great speed out of the window. On these days I push my body to crochet, stitch or draw something, no matter how insignificant, because making something out of nothing is never a waste of time. It fulfils hours and brings meaning to my day. Creating is medicine for the soul and medicine for the soul is medicine for the body. 

The rabbits of the Whimsical Woodland are entering a Sculpture Prize. They were hoping
getting into character would help them to sculpt the perfect likeness of themselves. 
Even rabbits are
artists,
this little bunny is hoping method acting will inspire him, though it isn't as easy as he thought. 
Always keep going the little rabbits in the woodland and you won't go wrong.
When my day is put to rest by flaring symptoms that pull me down nothing revives me like creating does. There is always a better day coming where plans can be rearranged and life brought back on track. It's a time to take it easy and enjoy the gentleness that comes from accepting your limits and your body.

Next week we will see who else we can find living in the woodland. The rabbits a looking for some new friends and I have heard that there are some new creatures looking for a place to live.

Monday 3 November 2014

Colour the World Orange for CRPS


Today is Colour the World Orange for CRPS Day. It aims to raise awareness about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome also known called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. A chronic nerve condition where misfiring nerve signals send constant pain signals to the brain. It usually begins after an injury to an arm or leg or after surgery but can develop spontaneously as it did in my case. The main symptom is intense burning pain which is why CRPS is represented by the colour orange. 

Reduced mobility and isolation are the biggest problems faced by those with CRPS but there are a variety of other issues such as extreme fatigue, insomnia and sensitivity to touch. It is very difficult to treat and not very well understood which is why it is so important to spread awareness and push for further research. There is no definitive cure at the moment, only a range of treatments such as physiotherapy and medications that can help manage the disease. Each patient responds so differently and some have more success with these treatments than others. To find out more about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome the websites of major hospitals and universities such as the Mayo Clinic are the best place to start.



This beautiful tiger wanders into the Whimsical Woodland sporting orange for CRPS awareness



This condition has taken my life down an entirely different path to what I had planned but I guess that is what plans do. They hit roadblocks and evolve as we learn to move over, under or around these blockages. While this is the hardest thing I have ever had to learn to deal with it am determined to continue to work hard to improve my mobility and enjoy life to it's fullest.



Let's hope our feline friend doesn't see any of our woodland inhabitants as a tasty treat. The Whimsical Woodland sure is a strange a surreal place...lions and tigers and bears oh my.