I'm not the only girl with physical problems, and certainly not the only who uses art and art journaling to cope with all that stems from it all. In fact, I created a small group on Facebook of creative women with FMS, as well as arthritis, chronic fatigue, & so on, where we support one-another's creativity (and give hugs on bad days).
Living with all my various physical malidies means I can't always spend a day in the studio, no matter how much I want to. And yet, I don't let this keep me from journaling, writing, and experimenting.
For days like today, when I'm so sore, I feel like a 5'7" purple bruise and have taken enough pain medication to, well, let's just say I'm a slightly foggy lump on my couch right now, I have an Art Box that I pull out for easy play in an armchair. It's slightly more involved than my purse/travel kit, but goes along the same lines as -- easy, low-mess, and colorful.
The contents, of course, shift and change depending on what I'm into at the time, or want to play with. That stamp set has been in the box for awhile because I want to stamp on my pages, but never really get around to it.
Cavalini & Co Alphabet set, Fabre-Castel Gel Sticks, & Caran d'Arch Neocolor IIs (they're stored in an Art Bin box, a collection I grew one at a time over five years).
My Lamy Safari fountain pen, pencil, eraser, Sharpie water-based poster paint in white, waterbrush, and set of neopastels (again, slowly growing collection one or two at a time).
My purse/travel case. For more on this, watch this video. I've added a bit of sequin waste I bought last week because HEARTS. I now have all sorts of circles, hearts, and stars! (I also have a fun new technique you can use with them that I'll be sharing later this week...)
And washi tape. It's oh-so-fun.
Lately, I've been asking myself why I hit publish on my entries, as I have several planned a week in advance (and photographed with my new camera) so I can keep up this updating-every-day-but-Sunday thing I've got going (and how is that going for YOU, dear readers?). So why this post? Because I discovered a month ago that my purpose is in alignment with my challenges, and in sharing them, and in giving tips and tricks to get around whatever may not be working for you right now. So if you're sick or disabled, or just a TV junkie, here's a system that seems to work for me.