You may be wondering why this clown is dancing with her own disfigured self instead of seeking urgent medical attention.

A completely reasonable question, one I also thought I'd never ask.

The Dancers is one of my favourite illustrations, not because of her aesthetic appeal, but because of what she taught me while I was making her.

I painted this during a time when I was struggling to accept myself. I tried meditation, travel, and mind numbing scrolling, trying to fix this invisible thing I felt was wrong with me. When I painted this, I'd started to deal with that feeling of being unacceptable and unloveable the best way I knew how, with art. I drew the parts of myself I deemed unacceptable as a series of cute, dysfunctional characters, each with their own poem.

The Dancers is about realising that the awkward and broken parts of myself never wanted to be fixed or forced into perfection. They were there to teach me to accept myself.

The music clanged and jangled
the lights were softly dimmed
my partner and I went dancing
among our missing limbs.
We shook, twisted and stumbled
We sang and bit our tongues
piece by piece we crumbled
until we couldn't run.

This illustration is part of an unfinished series titled, Stop Running: A 'Guide' for the Emotionally Crippled, that I'll be returning to once my second tarot deck, Concertina Tarot, is complete, so watch this space.

In the meantime, The Dancers is available as a print in the shop, on eco friendly bamboo based paper, ready to hang somewhere you'll see it on the days you need the reminder most.

Because who says you have to be whole to have a whole lot of fun?