Better than pain medication

I had been in a major slump for months. I was sketching only sporadically, and painting even less frequently. (Hence no blogging, either, which is why there hasn't been a post in months.)

I had no motivation & my pain pulled me further away from my paints instead of closer to them. I missed so many art classes, I had to drop out of the last semester's class.

When I did paint, I just got more depressed because I was doing something that I used to enjoy but I wasn't getting any enjoyment out of it.

My body pain was ruining my life. The only escape from my pain seemed to be strong pain killers, which usually just took the edge off, but we're guaranteed to make me sleep twenty hours a day.

I was existing, but I wasn't living. :(

I'm not sure how I broke the cycle, but a month ago I started forcing myself to stay awake more by sitting in front of the TV after supper with a photo to draw & my sketchbook. I'd prop them up on top of my numerous electric blankets, ice packs & pillows that I use to try to keep me comfortable.

Result? Now the overwhelming fatigue I feel and the fibromyalgia & CRPS pain can go from being a loud flashing screaming siren - - and my main focus - - to being just a pot boiling on the back burner of my mind while I'm drawing. It doesn't always work, but I have noticed that with practice, my sketching is becoming a more effective "pain killer" for longer periods of time.

It's not fool proof, it doesn't always work, but looking back at my sketches shows me that at first I could only sketch & concentrate for ten or fifteen minutes, but now I have sessions that can last as long as a movie.

I'm happily surprised that by pushing myself repetitively & not "piking" (the Ozzie term for giving up) I've seen such good results!

And there are no icky side effects to my new pain killers. ;)