Are you artistic? Do you live with pain?

If you live with chronic pain and like to create - be it writing, drawing, quilting, any medium really, here is an interesting way to help express how pain affects you: The American PainFoundation (APF) and The Health Central Network, Inc. are looking for entries for their second "Pain and Creativity" Exhibit.

The goal is to have creations that represent how pain affects your life. It's an interesting exercise and I would love to see what comes out of it. Here are the instructions from the press release if you are interested in learning more:

To be considered for the exhibit, online submissions must be entered by September 15th. Quilt submissions must be received by August 15th.

Online entrants can contribute poetry, prose, video or a digital photo of artwork with a paragraph describing the artwork and how it represents the entrant's personal pain experience. Entries can be submitted online at
http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/create/apf.

Submissions for the Pain Quilt, a reflection of the quilt-block maker's journey with pain, should be original 10" by 10" block or blocks that are made of fabric, or with a foundation of fabric.

Other media (beads, fibers, feathers, etc.) may be used for embellishment. The blocks may be pieced or appliqued, by hand or machine. They may be traditional or of original design. Blocks must be unfinished and unquilted; entrants are asked to leave at least 1/4" on all sides of the square for the seams that will join the squares together.

Send quilt blocks directly to the American Pain Foundation, 201 N. Charles Street, Suite 710, Baltimore, MD 21201-4111. The blocks will not be returned to the maker, and will become the property of APF. The finished quilts will be exhibited at the APF's annual celebration and awards dinner
and will be used for fundraising purposes.

If this interests you and you plan on entering, could you share that you've entered and perhaps the story behind your entry? I'm not a poet, so I don't think I'll be trying that, but I am a very prolific quilter so I may try to design a quilt block for the project.

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