Turn your pain into art

A centuries-long artist tradition

Hey pals,

As I write this post to you, I’m thinking about my body.

My hands are swollen, like they are most days, and so are my ankles. My knees are weak and my back, while not hurting right now, will start to as soon as I stand up. I’ll be able to walk for five or so minutes until my back erupts in pain, like a pin thrust into a lock.

This is the kind of pain I collage with everyday — and I’m not alone.

Artists have been turning pain into inspiration for centuries! Frida Kahlo immediately comes to mind. A Mexican painter, she was in a bus accident that left her in pain for the rest of her life. She made many paintings about it, one of my favorites being The Wounded Deer. 

The Wounded Deer, 1946 by Frida Kahlo

My own chronic issues were the inspiration for this piece, showing how artists are expected to perform through the pain. How we have good days and bad ones and have to act like we’re okay, just so people don’t think we’re “too sick” to do the job.

The Art of Pain, 2025 by Jade Johnson

I made this hoping that artists can be more open about their pain. To normalize making art about “unhappy” things. Write that poem about your bad hip, Sharon! Make a quilt that shows every day you’ve felt down in the dumps. Let us feel it too.

If you’re in the paid pal club, you can see photos from the making of these pieces after the cut. I was on my own deadline and didn’t take as many as usual, but I got a few photos of my very, very messy desk for you: