Artist Kate Pennington writes about her dollmaking and life with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
One of the biggest heartbreaks at having Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is how it steals your energy that would otherwise be spent on being productive and creative. Kate at Sacred Seeds Weblog writes this week about two things: the joy of making Wiccan God and Goddess Altar Dolls after spending most of last year swimming through a molasses vat of MCS-related issues, and about the hoops she goes through to stay safe in her own home.
Kate makes incredible dolls out of nontoxic and recycled materials, decorated with beads, paints and fabrics– they’re beautiful! In addition to dollmaking, she’s also a writer, and just published an article at Artfire on How to Be Friends with People with Allergies and Chemical Sensitivities. It’s chock full of good information about fabrics, art materials, personal products, and about creating a safe place for yourself and then sticking to your guns about who you allow into your space. Brava, Kate! You are an inspiration.
My artwork, my friends and my family are huge parts of my life. Acquiring supplies, working with different tools and mediums, getting to see people, hang out, doing things out and about, all the things anyone would think of living life is as important to me as for anyone else. But for me there is a catch. I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. MCS is a chronic and often invisible illness that affects my breathing, my digestion, my thought process, my ability to concentrate, to hold a job, and even do things with my children. MCS caused my body to be hyper sensitive to a vast array of chemicals most people deal with every day. In my body, they have become poison. Simple things like laundry detergent can make me violently ill for a day or even a week. Perfume can bring on an asthma attack or even send me to the hospital.
Link to full article.
Photo used with permission.
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