Internal Spirals: The Unseen Dance of Resilience

Lisa Mabin
Willoughby, New South Wales, Australia
Schmidt’s Syndrome: Type 1 Diabetes, Addison’s Disease and Hashimoto’s

Internal Spirals serves as a visual metaphor for the internal experience of living with an autoimmune condition. The spirals represent the complex, cyclical nature of symptoms—flares that ebb and flow unpredictably. These spirals are not just a depiction of physical sensations and symptoms but also echo the emotional and psychological turbulence that often accompanies chronic illness. The artwork doesn’t explicitly illustrate specific symptoms; instead, it encapsulates the overall feeling of navigating a life with an autoimmune disease—a journey that is deeply personal and constantly evolving. Creating art is indeed a cathartic process for me. It allows me to explore and express the aspects of living with an autoimmune condition that is invisible to others. Through art I hope to to connect with others navigating life with chronic illness and autoimmune conditions, who might share this invisible bond.