The Artist

Curious as to who the blonde haired girl in all these illustrations is? Well me too! I mean technically it's me, Christie. A 24 year old Aussie with a Masters in Occupational Therapy, but like so many others I'm also on a journey of self discovery and recovery from one hell of an Eating Disorder. In fact a really critical part of my recovery has been understanding who I am away from my ED and reminding myself of that every day.

What I've found so far? 

Well I'm kind, compassionate and understanding. I'm also strong and incredibly resilient. I think the fact that I've just illustrated 40 odd pictures and put them together in a book indicates that I'm quite creative and talented too. My art has always been my tool for expression. When I was most unwell, I was able to sit down and draw the chaos occurring in my mind. As disturbing as some of the images, it gave my family a whole new level of understanding as to how I was feeling and what my thoughts were. It wasn't always safe for me to voice my thoughts and feelings. My ED was an unhealthy way of communicating that pain; art has become my alternative.

My aim for 'Me and MY ED' includes a list of things, but mostly I hoped that readers could identify with a drawing, hand it to their loved ones and say "This. This is what I'm feeling". I want people to have a communication tool that isn't their ED and know that there are people out there who will receive their message and still love them the same.  

If you have any questions, messages or would just like to share your story feel free to contact me at [email protected] . I would love to hear about your own journeys and what has helped you along the way.