Flying high with clipped wings

This past week has been most extraordinary.
I 'watched' people unite.
I witnessed ill people who are most of the time stuck in their houses, on their couches or in their beds, come together and create a movement which is way beyond words.

People living with M.E. aired their voices in the most public of ways:
By physically attending the Millions Missing Protest in Dublin
Through the representation of family members - and even a surf board
Through social media
Sharing the poignant images about the day
Through radio interviews and newspaper articles
Through posting their shoes (or a stuffed penguin) to be displayed at the protest
Even a talk recorded live from bed (great one Noreen)

What an extraordinary time. And I agree with the words uttered by all those involved - and those who are too severely affected to be part of the organising - that this IS A TIME OF CHANGE.

Our wings may be clipped, but my goodness are we flying.

Edited image.
I had used an image of a young girl, wearing a read Millions Missing T-Shirt
which reached well below her knees.
She was holding a placard with my shoe image.
I had chosen that image as for me it symbolized the 'fledgling' state
we are with this new movement- this new awareness.
She was standing behind the protesters- waiting in the wing, as it were.
It was brought to my attention that although permission from her parents
to use the image was sought, it was not yet responded to.
I therefore removed the image.
My apology  to the parents if I used this image inadvisedly. 

I look forward to hear more about what the politicians said to the protesters. I know that they all listened carefully, and that most know a family or friend, or acquaintances who live with M.E.
They have expressed willingness to listen. To help.

Maybe, just maybe, we have given these politicians the incentive, the permission, to do something to help their friends, but could not bring this to a political stage as it was too personal. (if you know what I mean)

I am immensely proud.
I know already said that, but it is true.
My body is telling me it is true.

And I listen to my body...
It is wiser that I am.

Although I was not at the event in Dublin, I spent a lot of my thinking energy, and computer energy on the protest. I overstayed my welcome on the computer to be part of that amazing day -to follow any bit of news that came our way.  But you know what - it was worth every ounce of my energy!

Today I did listen to my body and gave it a lot more rest.

I am sure that when we have all rested our tired bodies and wings, 

that we will continue with this truly inspiring of stories.

My deepest gratitude to ALL.

Further reading and links:

• The Millions Missing Page has all the links with personal stories, photographs, the before and after thoughts etc. 
• MEme at the protest (an in the newspaper)

Creativity and me 3: Fit to Fly documentary by David Begley

Creativity as a tool to understand illness, but it can also bring you the most unexpected of places. 

As you might remember the EGG became a tool for me to understand and explore my completely changed life at the onset of ME/CFS in 1998. Although I lived a very secluded life, I somehow made contact with the world beyond my four walls -beyond the shell of my egg.

One of these contacts was with artist David Begley.
For the life of me I don't quite remember how this happened, but what I do remember is that it was a friendship of writing and receiving incredibly honest letters, of sharing our creative lives, phone calls, watching movies, or exploring Lismore, where he arrived on a little motorbike, and visits to Ardmore...

As a result of this friendship David created the Fit to Fly Documentary, During 2003-2004 and was supported by the Arts & Disability Forum Arts Bursary.
David interviewed and filmed me, my friends, the arts officer, and visitors to my first exhibition about how illness informed my art making. And visa verse.

The launch and first screening of Fit to Fly was at Lismore Library in May 2004, and opened by MEP Brian Crowley.
Fit to Fly, catapulted me from my solitary existence into the world of the media. The story was featured in many national and local newspapers. David's filming and storyline was taken up by RTE. Nationwide (national TV program about life in Ireland) made their own version. We had an interview on TV3 Ireland AM. It was all a very surreal experience.

some of the media coverage
of the launch of Fit to Fly, 
and accompanying exhibition

Months later I was in Cork for a hospital visit. Afterward a friend brought me out for lunch in the  city centre. While sitting out on a terrace, a woman walked by, stopped, looked at me, and said: "I saw you on Nationwide. I have one of your Dolls", and walked on again.

Being creative can bring you the most unexpected places. 

The Fit to Fly documentary is in total about 14 minutes long, but shown here in two parts.
(it starts with a black screen for a few seconds...)

Links and further reading:

• I am still a huge admirer of David's work. His paintings are just beautiful, his new departure in animation (too small a word for his works) is spellbinding.  
• Other documentaries about my creative life 
• Reviews of Fit to Fly 
• The artworks in the video can be seen here 

Dear Stranger by Anastasia Palmer

Let the sun be my smile

The rain be my tears

The storm be my anger

The wind be my voice

So let me be

Anastasia Palmer- Dear Stranger

In 2004 I was invited to give a talk at the Healing Arts Trust Lectures Series at Waterford Regional  Hospital. As I was not sure on what to do, I opted for a screening of the Fit to Fly  documentary created by David Begley, which documents the way I used art in the early years of ME.

There were quite a few people there and after the screening we had a question and answer session. Anastasia Palmer, then about 16 years old and ill with ME, was there with her mother Margaret. We chatted for quite a while after the event. I have stayed in touch with Anastasia ever since and have followed her amazing creative and healing journey.

At some point we considered publishing a book together. One side was mine. Turn it over and it shows Anastasia's.
I am so glad this did not happen as we would not have seen the incredibly beautiful letter press printed book Dear Stranger.

I am SO proud to have one of the first copies in my life. I remember when it arrived, I could feel the energy, the tears, the joy, the wonder and years that gone into this book.

The other beauty is that these books were to be given free to libraries, so everyone could have access to this amazing book, filled with so much wisdom and beautiful woodcut prints. Wisdom far beyond her years, as the words in Dear Stranger were written when Anastasia was in her teens. She wrote letters to a Stranger - to all of us. The words are striking. The emotions raw. It oozes with wisdom...

Dear Stranger Letterpress book by Anastasia Palmer

Dear Stranger Letterpress book by Anastasia Palmer

Dear Stranger is now also available as paperback from Amazon

About the book: words by Anastasia from her website:

"Dear Stranger is a collection of letters that I wrote from age 15-18 while ill with a chronic illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E). I have hand printed 230 copies of Dear Stranger through the craft of letterpress printing, hand-setting every letter, rolling each page through the printing press and carving every picture in wood. As these books are limited they are being passed around from person to person as a gift and some can be found in libraries..

A few quotes from the book:

ME: I read through the list of symptoms of M.E., it made me cry so much, I feel like someone forced themselves inside my body and poisoned my blood with all of these pains. I was shaking reading it, my God do each of them hurt when added together, sometimes it’s all at once and other times it’s a large combinations. Even to just take one of the symptoms like memory or concentration – it is difficult, I forget a moment that has just passed, I cannot listen to someone long enough to understand what they are really talking about and it’s not likely I will remember later. The amount of strain I put on my ears to actually listen to someone, and it does hurt, physically first and then emotionally because I want to listen and understand.

Pain: I am in so much pain, you think that by now I would be so used to it that it would not bother me so much, but it does. And when I see myself in the mirror I am so saddened there is these young almost baby like face, but so tired and pale and stressed, filled with paying and an age that doesn't belong to youth. My God truly, what do I have left?

Dreams: I am starting to see that illness comes to us because of our story so it might also want to leave us because of our story. I will find out how to use my mind and then I will find out how to live my dreams.

Gift: I feel that illness has been a big gift in my life. … The more I understand the more I see the beauty of the path but I am on.

I ache about so many things and cry for hours about how hard it all is, but what is the wealth of my experience? A lot! My tears come from a special place and are connected to something far greater than I have ever cried about before… By being ill I have been able to stand outside of the world, meet my own world and now I am gaining strength so that I can go into the world again.

I would highly recommend reading this book. Teenagers and Adults alike... Dear Stranger is also available as paperback from Amazon


links:

• Fit to Fly video
• Anastasia's Website where her story is told, also in short videos
• Earlier post about Anastasia and about Dear Stranger on my blog

Sunday is a day of Rest

Sundays are for Rest

I was going to write about the unease that One Man (and his 'friends') can bring to the world, but it knots my stomach ... and as I would like this Little Wings Blog to be about healing, ease and growth, I decided agains taking that route. I am sure you all have your own thoughts on the subject of D.T.

Lying in my bed, 

a photo came to mind

which I took a few years ago

 of my beloved Robert Cat ...

Don't rush to get up. 

Today is a day of rest!

But if you feel like watching some short

documentaries and videos

 about my art and writing, 

you can do so 

HERE

Be good.

Be well.