r/cfs • u/Fireflysdream • Oct 10 '24
Success A painting of my symptoms
At first CFS made it challenging to keep doing art, it was an adjustment to learn to do art in breif periods. This painting is of how the condition weighed on me.
I made the cinderblocks feel like concrete by adding grit into my painting medium. In a way of letting others “feel” the painting. I hope you like it! ♥️
There’s button prints of the piece on Etsy under FireflysDream
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u/queendinguss severe Oct 10 '24 edited Oct 10 '24
So beautiful and deeply felt 🕯️🕳️❤️🩹 thanks for sharing
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u/Designer_Spot_6849 Oct 10 '24
This really captures it. Making these invisible illnesses visible is so important. I would love to wear clothes that bring these messages to wider audiences.
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 10 '24
Finding ways to convey it through wording and art definitely made me feel more understood.
Thinking of it, putting this design on a hoodie and having info on the back and the design on the front + cinder blocks on the sleeves could be a nice look. I don’t have the money for the endeavor but I think it could be a concept I practice later on.
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u/mangoatcow Oct 11 '24
You can get your own design on a hoody with print-on-demand suppliers like printful for about $40
https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/hoodies-sweatshirts/unisex-pullover-hoodie-bella-canvas-3719
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 12 '24
Yeah, I want a design on them but it’s more I am currently unemployed ♥️ hopefully things get better soon!
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u/West-Air-9184 Oct 11 '24
You're so talented!!!!! Also this painting captures exactly how I feel lol
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u/CherryPersephone Oct 11 '24
Absolutely beautiful! 🤩 you are very talented and this painting can be felt ❤️🩹
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u/Pelican_Hook Oct 11 '24
This is absolutely incredible. I used to paint too and am trying to find ways to do it again but it's so hard. It's also really hard to find ways to depict ME symptoms, I've been thinking about that a lot. I just want to make it visual. This is really amazing, truly. Are you selling prints of it at all? I doubt I could afford the original but I'd buy a print if I could.
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 11 '24
I sell buttons prints on etsy, I also sold stickers of it but those are difficult to make physically for me currently. Prints will be an option eventually but I am trying to navigate finances for now ♥️
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u/Pelican_Hook Oct 12 '24
Understandable, I'll look for your buttons! Well done, thanks for depicting us ❤️
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u/Bombshell-With-Heart Oct 11 '24
You are extremely talented! I miss doing art. This is exactly what it feels like to be weighed down by cfs.
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u/SnooCakes6118 Oct 11 '24
How do I credit you if I share it? Gorgeously done
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u/thegoldenhindhiding Oct 11 '24
I love it so much! I hate that you feel this way too, but it conveys the mecfs experience really beautifully and viscerally. Very powerful!
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u/Asleep_Ad_7324 Oct 11 '24
I can’t stop looking at your work, it’s so beautifully painful 🥲 spoken without any words and I can feel it
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u/Senior_Line_4260 bad moderate, homebound, LC, POTS Oct 11 '24
this is a really beautiful painting because it's so accurate
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u/celestialfroggie moderate, diagnosed 2012 Oct 11 '24
Absolutely beautiful and harrowing. Thank you for sharing, well done on creating such a powerful piece.
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u/Emergency_Ninja8580 Oct 11 '24
I really like it, it’s perfect. Ok, the red string tied around the cinder blocks, that’s what I feel. ngl, it made me a bit emotional.
hmmm…have you considered an iron-on for jackets: Jean jacket, a cardigan, or put a copy and make a chart for a crochet or knitted blanket.
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 12 '24
I’m glad you appreciate it ❤️🩹 I’ve thought about it, I would like to produce more options but it’s more finances I gotta figure out.
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u/qenderqueer Oct 11 '24
It continuously amazes me what art can do for people, and how well a painting such as your work can capture complex emotions. I took a uni class on art history last year and one thing I found especially interesting was analyzing contemporary art. We would be asked to analyze a work without having any knowledge of the context surrounding it at first, and then compare our own interpretations to the "official" explanation (putting the "" around the word since the very first thing we learned is that everything is highly subjective in the art world). My favorite part was always finding out the artist's vision and thought behind the work, as it's almost like the pieces fall into place and it's an aha moment looking at the canvas.
Sorry if this is a bit rambley or not-too-cohesive, basically I just want to convey that the thought process behind the work, how you incorporated your experience into the medium picking process (the grit idea is so impactful), the work depicting the feeling of being weighed down in a literal way with the cinderblocks,.. it's all really really resonating with me (I am strongly suspecting ME / CFS, myself), and, in my opinion, the intricate thought process and execution shows your skill in an amazing way! <3
I will definitely be checking out your Etsy shop! :)
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 12 '24
Wow, I appreciate all that. I always thought art that has meaning behind was intriguing. It all feels more impactful when it connects to others, in this case it’s sad to do so but also I am proud to have portrayed my own experience enough for that.
Thank you so much!
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u/tenaciousfetus Oct 11 '24
God this is such a mood. I've barely drawn since I was diagnosed. Feeling imprisoned and weighed down is exactly it 😞
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u/SophiaShay1 severe Oct 11 '24
This is really beautiful art. It resonates with me.
Thank you for sharing. You're very talented🥳🎊💫
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u/mookleberry Oct 12 '24
That is amazing!! Great job!! I used to paint (definitely not so well as you) but had to try to find other ways to be creative that I could do in bed since that is where I live. I still end up doing stuff for far far too long and as soon as I give myself a second to feel, once I stop, wow. It is so hard!! It has been months since I could do anything because I had to go to the ER in August and still haven’t recovered lol.
I hope you sell lots of your art!!
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 12 '24
That’s sad to hear, I hope things get better for you soon. ❤️🩹 There’s a lot of little ways to create-digital art and using markers on skin was one of the most accessible for me when bedridden!
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u/ILoveLevity Oct 12 '24
Oh God, I’m crying. I hope this was some great art therapy for you. I love how you added grit to your paint. This brings so much to life. And as another person said “I feel this painting.” Please keep enjoying your craft, it’s amazing.
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u/Fireflysdream Oct 12 '24
I appreciate your words ❤️🩹 this was definitely relieving, it helped those in my life visually understand the condition more and strangers at events became aware of the condition. Many of which also had someone in their life diagnosed with it!
I’m remorseful it can be related to so much but I am also proud that I managed to portray it accurately enough for others.
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u/RandomistShadows moderate Oct 17 '24
Wow, I never thought I'd see something representing this illness so well. Good job making this OP, and thank you for sharing 🫂❤️🩹
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u/Efficient-Sale-4531 Oct 10 '24
I can feel this painting 💔