Our Conditions, Our Lives

Art Write Us is a collection of art and creative writing made by young artists taking part in the Joint Creativity project 2022-23. The audio was on display at the Art Write Us Exhibition, Edinburgh March 2023.

Exploring the power of words, the works illustrate the positive effect creativity can have on wellbeing and the impact arthritis and related conditions have on the young people living with them.

In this mini podcast, the artists read 3 of their poems before going on to talk about the process of making art at the Joint Creativity workshops and reflecting on words that remind them of home, the doctors and art workshops. The podcast starts and finishes with a clapping sound created by the shaking of multiple posca pens.

In this podcast you will hear the voices of Charlie, Lucy, Sarah, Skye and Thomas.

In this BONUS episode of Our Conditions, Our Lives Sarah from Scotland and Nathan from England chat about their diagnosis and experiences in clinic. They talk about how they have learned to take more control of their appointments and share some of the tips they have picked up along the way. Sarah and Nathan also guide listeners through the Arthritis Tracker app and talk about how they have found it useful.

Continuing on from last week's episode, Hayley and Maria tell more personal stories about how they have used music as a self-management tool. Volunteer Carrie joins Hayley in a discussion about music and the benefits for self expression and just like last time we have song recommendations throughout!

Listen on Spotify for full tracks. 

This episode introduces Hayley and Maria and their relationship with music and their conditions. They discuss artists who have inspired them, tracks that get them through difficult moments and musicians who have chronic conditions which have impacted their art and careers. They conclude the episode by conducting an interview with staff member Jay. 

***Please note, for best listening, please listen on Spotify so you can hear the songs that Maria and Hayley have recommended in full! (If you do not have Spotify premium you will only hear 30 seconds of each song) 

Keep an eye out for part two!

In this bonus episode, staff member Jay, volunteer Charlotte and participant Carrie discuss their experiences of coming out as a teenager while navigating their conditions. They chat about the similarities in the process of acceptance for their bodies, their gender and their sexualities and how finding community and peers was vital on their journey. We also hear from Kiana at the very start who tells us about what Pride month means to her and why she thinks it is important. 

Happy Pride Listeners!

In this episode Megan and Cassidy talk us through their early career choices and how they have been impacted by their conditions and both found their way through unconventional routes. They discuss how important it is to learn to advocate for yourself and ask for help from teachers, employers and colleagues in order to succeed and not to listen to negative voices. 

In this week's episode Cara and Steph talk about the impact that their conditions have had on their relationships with friends and family. They both interview a close friend and discuss their condition openly, in Steph's case for the first time. Both Cara and Steph talk about how useful and important it is to have the confidence to communicate with friends and family about your health and happiness and that having friends with similar life experience and diagnosis is really helpful. 

Enjoy!

In this episode, learn from Verity and Jess as they talk about how their artforms help them to manage their pain. Jess tells us about how she loves to sing and how her choir has helped her to grow in confidence. Verity explains how learning about make-up and practicing techniques helps to lift her mood and express herself. 

You will also hear from Alice and Jay from the Versus Arthritis staff team who talk about their project Joint Creativity - a self management and art project for young people with arthritis and related conditions. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to episode two of Our Conditions, Our Lives. In this episode Eva, Alasdair and Evan talk about their experiences of sport and training and how they have adapted since being diagnosed with their conditions. 

Eva tells us about how she has started longboarding and how her friends and family support her with her Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Alasdair talks about running and how since being diagnosed with a neurological condition he's had to listen to his body and work on his communication with his coaches. Evan shares with us an interview he conducted with his swim coach about how they have worked together to continue his training since being diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. 

We hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram @YPFScotland, Facebook Too Young for Arthritis: Scotland or get in touch through the versus arthritis website! 

In our first episode of the podcast, Lucy and Skye share personal stories of their struggles and triumphs in school. They talk about changing schools, telling friends and working with supportive and not so supportive teachers. They explain that they wish people understood that arthritis is not just for 'old people' and that some days are worse than others. 

If you have any concerns, comments or need support please get in touch with us on Instagram @YPFScotland, Facebook (Too young for arthritis? Scotland) or by email to YPFSClinicTeam@Versusarthritis.org. 

Trailer! 

Get a sneak peak into our first season of episodes. Hear from some of our creators and find out what sort of things we will be discussing. 

Another creative sound project for your listening pleasure! This piece was made in response to the latest Lockdown in Scotland. For most of us, this year has been extra difficult since having a chronic condition like arthritis meant that many of us have been shielding. Our worlds have been very quiet and isolated. We wanted to see if we could capture this silence through sound. What do you think? 

"Pain is..." was created from an explorative workshop with the creators of the 'Our Conditions, Our Lives' podcast. Working with the staff team from Scotland Versus Arthritis, we translated our relationship with pain into sounds and key phrases. This is a sneak peak into our world and our conditions before listening to our stories in the first season of episodes.