Expressing the Invisible: Using Art Therapy to explore the fatigue that comes with chronic illness

Fatigue and chronic illness

If you live with a chronic health condition, over time you may have built up quite a list of descriptive metaphors and analogies for what fatigue feels like for you. Perhaps some of these sound familiar:

• My fatigue is dark and heavy, like a huge weighted blanket being thrown over my head

• My fatigue feels like a thick fog that descends over me as the day goes on

• My fatigue feels like sinking into mud, sluggish

• It feels like I'm slowly slipping into quicksand

• I feel glued to the spot, slowed down to a stop

We need ways to describe our experience. Words help.

But wouldn't words plus art be even better?

If you'd like and only if you are comfortable doing so, join me in a little exercise.

There is no wrong way of doing this so do not worry.

• Take your mind back to the last time you experienced fatigue.

How did it make your body feel?

How did it make you feel emotionally?

• Now imagine you have some paper and all the colours under the sun in front of you.

Take a moment and choose the colours that best describe how fatigue feels for you.

Would you be drawn to darker shades of black, blue, brown or grey?

Or perhaps your fatigue could feel light, blank, white or pale.

• Now let's think about how you could use those colours to express your fatigue.

Maybe you could use thick, heavy brush strokes to convey the weight or burden of low energy.

Or maybe you could blend your colours into a blurry fog.

It is entirely up to you.

• How large is this imaginary artwork?

  
  

• What feelings or thoughts came up for you as you imagined creating this artwork?

Thank you for creating an artwork in your mind with me.

Of course imagining making a piece of art is one thing,

while the experience of actually choosing and using art materials is totally different.

But I hope this little exercise showed you that you are creative, no matter what you tell yourself about your artistic ability and...

your art could actually help you,

if you let it.

Here are some ways your art in therapy could help with fatigue:

• Making it might be enough. The process could be cathartic or surprising.

• Using the art materials could feel soothing or energising.

• Your art could show you something you hadn't considered before about how fatigue impacts you.

• You can change a piece of art. You are in control.

• We might use you artworks about fatigue as a starting point for considering what helps in a flare up.

• You could use your art to understand the path your body takes into and out of fatigue.

• You could create new art focusing on the opposite of fatigue or defining coping strategies including; rest, acceptance, or energy.

• Your artwork is private, but you might choose to share it with the people you love, to help them understand what it is like when you have fatigue.

There are so many ways to use your art in therapy.

I refuse to limit you.

If this has sparked your curiosity, contact me to arrange a quick and free 15 minutes chat. Oh and feel free to comment with the colours of your fatigue. I find it fascinating how we all experience things so uniquely.

I cannot wait to speak with you.

Ellen