Tristan Yoeun MFA Print Media Capstone 2019
The Many Facets of Creating with Chronic Conditions
Anyone can have chronic pain, and mental illnesses. It doesn’t matter your age, gender, sexuality, political party, hobbies, or whatever else you use to define yourself. These chronic conditions don’t discriminate; the nurse at the clinic who always greets with you with a bright smile, your grandfather who worked at a steel mill for most of his life, or that student teacher that has been assigned to your child’s class—any of these people could be battling with a chronic health condition that you know nothing about. My thesis explores my relationship with chronic pain and severe depression, and how they’ve both influenced my day-to-day activities and ease of living.
I want what I’m choosing to share in both this thesis, and capstone project, to help those who aren’t living with conditions of this nature to understand what life can be like for me and others like me. I want to make sure others who are in similar situations don’t feel alone. Ultimately I’d like my works, both written and physical prints, to help inspire new conversations and ways of looking at conditions like chronic pain, and mental illnesses, while also reminding both sufferers and onlookers alike that you can still create something beautiful and meaningful despite the ailments in your life; the first step is not let yourself stop creating when your pathway becomes a bit skewed.
