Artist’s Statement:
Rationing your energy – or rather the lack thereof – is a daily part of life with MS. For example, if I’m planning to go out one night, I can expect to spend next day recuperating in bed. I like to pretend I have 5 “energy pills” each morning on my bedside table when I wake up. If I take a shower, that will cost me one pill. If I want to go on a picnic that day, that would require at least 2 pills. Once I’ve gone through all 5 pills, my day is pretty much over. Putting it simply, the fatigue can be crushing at times.
Bio:
Music has always been my first love, but after getting my BMus from University of Toronto, I switched directions and studied art at OCAD. After graduating I worked as an Art Director at various advertising agencies before eventually becoming Group Creative Director at MacLaren Toronto. As my MS symptoms progressed, the demands of that career – the fast pace and demanding hours – finally became too much to handle.
Since 2014 I’ve been on long-term disability. I’ve had to say goodbye to many aspects of my ‘old’ life, as I learn to accept the realities of my new life. I use my creative hobbies to remain connected with the world around me, specifically painting, illustration, and writing music. This disease can be very cruel, in that over time parts of your body and/or mind seem to die one at a time, and you never know what will be next or when it will occur. I’ve had to learn to make friends with uncertainty. MS may not be a death sentence, but it is indeed a life sentence.