Chronic Pain Awareness Month
Books, Books, Books!
Here’s a book list we put together recently. Recommendations came from both patients and doctors.
This week, we are sharing the fiction options. Check our your local bookseller if you can.
FICTION
Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Painless: A novel about Chronic Pain
The Mind-Body Connection by Chana Studley
No Pain like this Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo
Luster by Raven Leilani
Defying Doomsday by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Artists Reconnecting Through Sharing
Join us for First Friday in Person!
We will be bringing a selection of our art, videos and a joyful attitude to this great event on Friday! We hope to see some locals there. We’ll have a studio all set up, and you can see amazing work from many other artists, all at once! Park once, enjoy the festivities. There are also some great food carts nearby.
In Person Event
Great turn out! Calm Within the Chaos
The CoVault group of artists and GALA - the Gresham Area League, for the Arts invited Janna Kimel. Executive Director of the Chronic Pain Project to give a talk during their exhibit Calm into Chaos.
Janna spoke about how, for many of us, art is a wonderful space that truly gives us a moment of quiet amidst the storm of managing chronic pain.
Images below show slides about the chaos of chronic pain, the calm of creating art and a bit of the science behind why art helps reduce the experience of pain.
Like what you are reading? Please forward to a friend!
Exhibit Update
Art For Sale
Our gallery isn't just art - it's raw, honest expressions of the chronic pain experience created by incredibly talented artists in our community. These one-of-a-kind pieces capture everything from the struggle to the strength, the isolation to the connection, and everything in between that words can't quite express.
"Well, making art is my number one pain management strategy. When I am making art, I There's this quote by Thomas Burton that says 'art is the place where you lose yourself and find yourself at the same time.' And I just, I just love that, because I do lose myself in the process, process of creating. I um, and I have to make art every day for my mental health, just so I can deal with this ... disease.”
Alexandria Levin, Watercolor Headache #6
The best part? Most pieces are priced so affordably you won't believe the level of talent you're getting. Plus, when you purchase, proceeds are split between the artist (supporting their creative journey) and CPP (funding more opportunities for our community to create and connect).
Whether you're looking for something that speaks to your own experience or want to support artists who deserve recognition, you'll find meaningful work that belongs on your walls - not hidden away.
Browse our gallery and bring home art that truly matters 💜 Reach out directly to inquire about a purchase.
That’s it for this week.
Keep showing up, keep cheering each other on — and as always, take care of yourselves!💛
If you like what you are reading, consider forwarding it to a friend!
Janna and the Chronic Pain Project Team