Art by Mike Jory: 2012

Migraine Awareness Month #13: "You Are Beautiful."

Task for the day "Remind yourself of the things you have accomplished despite Migraines..."

Despite having chronic migraine for the past 20 years or so I've managed to keep painting and drawing and I'm currently holding an online exhibition to raise funds for a migraine charity.

For any fellow migraineurs who are thinking about taking up art, here are my top 5 reasons for doing so:

1) You can work on a painting in stages allowing you to work around your migraine attacks / periods of disability.

2) Being creative is a reward in itself and provides a feeling of accomplishment, something which can be difficult to come by if in chronic pain.

3) Nothing you do need ever be wasted. One of the frustrating aspects of chronic illness is working toward a long-term goal only to be unable to complete a project due to migraine. With art this needn't be the case as paintings started weeks, months or years earlier can be completed as and when you want.

4) Painting and drawing, like any art, encourage you to view the world in different ways. Learning to redefine what is possible and impossible with a painting can sometimes transfer into redefining what is possible in life despite being in chronic pain.

5) Art allows you to be social and allows you to be independent. You can join an art class or visit galleries if you want to share art with others, but in the times when you are unable to socialize due to poor health you can pick up your latest painting and do 5 minutes here or there if you're able.

(These images are all taken from the Migraine Action Art Exhibition)

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger's Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.