One of the most isolating factors of chronic pain for me is that my condition is not visible. Last year I had a particularly bad flare up. Standing, sitting, pretty much anything that wasn’t lying down caused shooting nerve pain. It was so strange to be so consumed by it while doing everyday things like going to class and shopping for groceries. There was such a profound disconnect between my interior experience and the way I was being perceived. This painting is my attempt to externalize these feelings. I wanted to paint something confronting, that forced people to think about their own relationships to their bodies. The only way I have found to successfully navigate the world in while in pain is to be endlessly compassionate towards my body and it’s needs. This is not always easy: Pain makes me angry, and sad, and often ungenerous towards myself and others. The little hair clips and the string of pearls represent the little things I do to care for myself and remind myself of the beauty and capability of my body. It was important to me that I represent both the pain and the care in this piece.

Pain alerts us of something wrong with our physical being, and its expression can be magnified or diminished by circumstances in our personal/ social/ spiritual life. Throughout our life we are exposed to circumstances that may lead us to experience pain and pain may also influence the way we interact with others around us. Furthermore, throughout our life we are influenced by the roles played by people in our lives, and we ourselves play roles that change our experience of pain. This picture depicts the circle of life, the person is going through the stages of life, influenced by different roles of others in ones life and also by also playing roles oneself within the societal sphere . The roles are depicted by hats, the ones worn/played by the person are shadowed in yellow, the roles played by others are not shadowed in yellow but do influence the person’s life by setting limits, creating stressors or providing coping mechanisms.

My work is Drawing of my Sinus headaches. Which is typically have the following terrible symptoms: Pressure-like pain in one specific area of your face or head , Jaw, cheeks , Eyes, behind your eyes) Face is tender to the touch. Pain is worse with sudden movements of the head and bending forward. Can’t organize myself for the day and few days, uncomfortable, incomplete tasks, Shock pains all over , Feeling like missing piece of puzzle all thoughts of black all over my mind , thoughts. Trying to solve, fix, and ponder over.

My granddaughter sketched this at school and when I saw it it made me think of the social isolation of youth in pain.

This picture depicts the social life of a person in chronic pain. The pain wraps itself around like a tree branch, smothering their skin, piercing them. They are often hidden in the background, fading away from their friends. They often watch their friends, participate in activities.

The painting depicts a browned and bruised banana amongst a bunch unblemished ones. The bruised banana represents the individual whose body, identity, and wellbeing has been impacted by their experiences of living with chronic pain. The unblemished bananas represent people who are close with the individual in pain, such as family and friends. The bruised banana is part of the bunch and therefore included with them if purchased. Although chronic pain is often deemed invisible to others, those living with it may feel as though they are branded as undesirable by the world around them. Despite this, the bruised banana is still good – perhaps even better -- due to its desirability as an ingredient for desserts. The ripened banana in the painting is garnished with accents of reflective, golden paint to represent the beauty and value it brings to the bunch.

Although it’s estimated that One in Five Canadians lives with chronic pain, this condition is often linked with social isolation. We might say that “misery loves company”, but no one really wants to listen to someone talk about their persistent – ongoing and possibly permanent – pain. So the person in pain becomes a pariah, the one left alone at social events – if they’re invited at all. In this image the background flame depicts the burning pain of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), with One in Five consumed by this orange fire. Of the Four blue figures, representing cooling comfort, all but One are looking away from the person in pain – ignoring their distress. It takes only One to provide comfort, and hope. Be that One person.

Through my practice as a physiotherapist, I see people isolated with their chronic pain. The price for a simple outing is too high and the recovery time, too long. The isolation comes for many reasons, for example the physical limitations, feeling annoying with the complaints or just misunderstood. All though they avoid talking about it, they burn inside and want to express it as LOUD as they can. But they don’t… Until, they realize how much the pain is ruling their lives. Then they make different choices. They cannot act as if it doesn’t exist, so they act accepting that part of them. I see them changing their view on things, seeing the suffering more as a quest to find themselves again. They switch a bit the ultimate goal. It becomes more about fulfilment than pain. They share their experiences through different activities either in a group or a personal practice like art. They learn to live their lives differently. They learn to love themselves again, not in spite of the pain but regardless of it. Their journeys are long, hard and sinuous but at the same time beautiful and inspiring.

This Artwork clearly depicts the 24/7 pain, feeling of isolation, trapped inside experiences I have daily from CRPS, Fibromyalgia, Migraines and Depression.

“Invisible Isolation”, represents how I feel as a young woman living with many forms of chronic pain. At times, I feel trapped, like I cannot break free, as if an invisible force field is restricting me. I can see the world moving on around me, I am visible to others, and yet I am not truly seen. Physically and externally I appear as any other young woman, but on the inside, I suffer crippling and excruciating pain from a medical condition that is a mystery to most people. For individuals suffering from chronic pain, daily life is completely altered; we push ourselves to break free, but often feel trapped in a crowd of seclusion.

Death’s Embrace was painted by the late Lili wilde who lived with 3 rare disorders including full body CRPS a high level pain disorder. Lili was a strong advocate for herself and other patients around the world, but face to face social interaction was a challenge with her medical conditions. This painting depicts her experience of death constantly looking over her shoulder, her one constant companion. Like Lili, many patients with pain disorders and chronic conditions, face chalenges maintaining a social life. Death was a reality that Lili had to face, much sooner them she should due to her conditions and healthcare harm.

Before starting my career as a researcher in Chronic Pain, I worked as a clinical assistant. One of the people I came in contact with was a young woman in her 20s, she had a Traumatic Brain Injury that resulted in chronic pain. She was very energetic and curious, but her pain often too intense to allow her to do what she wanted to do. Her family did not really understand her condition. She felt lonely and misunderstood. She had sorrow in her eyes, but was able to hide it with a smile. I introduced her to a Brain Injury charity, she met virtually with them, they were sharing their stories every week. When her pain was too intense, she wanted to join the weekly meeting with her camera off to listen to their stories anyway. This poem and artwork is about her and what she taught me about living with chronic pain, about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can understand your sorrow, or maybe can't completely understand but are able to be there for you. Sometimes you don't need to do something or change something, you just need to be there for someone.

Someone close to me once described living with chronic pain as being an isolating and lonely experience. Yet, the social and familial support they received on a day-to-day basis helped them to get through the day. Here, I used abstract lines and contrasting colours to depict the comfort from social support in the midst of experiencing the discomfort of living with pain.

My aim with this artwork is to depict the emotional terrain of suffering and disconnection. The central figure, experiencing physical unease and seclusion, stands apart from the others. Through the use of color, I have tried to capture the various emotional dimensions of pain and its impact on an individual's social interactions.

My piece aims to capture the lived experiences of those with chronic pain, which affects approximately 1 in 5 Canadians. The daily struggle of managing chronic pain can make even the simplest tasks challenging, particularly in social situations where individuals may feel pressured to conceal their symptoms to avoid being stigmatized or perceived as a burden. My painting captures the emotional and physical toll of masking pain in social settings, particularly during happy occasions such as celebrations. Through "Kept Hidden", I hope to foster greater empathy and understanding of the experiences of those living with chronic pain. I believe that by raising awareness and encouraging dialogue, we can create a more supportive and inclusive society that recognizes the challenges faced by those with pain.

Pain hinders our ability to pay attention to the things that matter. When I feel pain I'm often anxious, desperately looking for a place to escape or withdraw. On other days I am bold and motivated to carry on despite the fatigue and stress. It is easy to see the bigger picture when experiencing acute pain and stressors, because we know it will go away soon. However, many people in the world today are in pain over-and-over again. Each painful experience becomes a barrier for people to live a full and enjoyable life. This art piece manifests the uncertainty of long-term painful experiences. The waves of varying color signifies the emotional weight associated with our unsettling or anxious experiences. The sun adds hope to the picture because through the trashing and beating of the waves the sun never ceases to shine. When we take a step back and picture our lives from a different angle, the collage of our collective experiences becomes less of a mess and more of a masterpiece. In time, our experiences transform from being a barrier into being fuel for personal narrative and character.

Game of Endurance, is a brief narration of my observations from my good friend who suffered from a facial chronic pain. Her pain lasted for 12 years, before she finally got the right treatment and this short comic is adapted by her experiences and her difficulties of living her everyday life with this challenging medical condition, from the time the pain started until after her recovery from a risky treatment. Her life, as many other people with chronic pain, had many ups and downs, which are not easy to be recognized.