Hello world! My name is Carrie Kellenberger and I'm a Canadian chronic illness and disability rights activist living in beautiful Taiwan. I've been blogging at MySeveralWorlds.com since 2007, when I started writing about our world travels.
In 2009, I got sick and received my first autoimmune disease diagnosis: a disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (now known as Axial Spondyloarthritis). This type of inflammatory arthritis affects my spine and SI joints and I also have a lot of peripheral joint swelling which means it has greatly impacted my ability to walk. A few years later in 2013, I received fibromyalgia and MECFS diagnoses. Then I got hit with Psoriatic Arthritis.
I've been writing and creating all my life. In my early 20s, I belonged to an artist guild called the Amaryllis Artisan Guild in Lanark Valley, Ontario, Canada. That was my first time doing art shows and these shows eventually funded my move to China in 2003, where I continued with my art and creative processes. I moved to Taiwan in 2006. Most of my work up until 2015 was in wire-working and bridal jewelry. I've worked with clay, pottery, and making veils. I also dabbled in painting for a while.
By 2015, most of the art that I was doing was too hard to do from bed, so I moved to paper crafts. What you see in my shop is all done from bed while I'm resting from flare activity related to my autoimmune diseases.
In July 2023, I was able to fly back to Canada for the first time in four years. My international flights caused DVT and I landed in Taiwan in medical distress and that is when I learned I have a rare autoimmune blood disorder called APS, which some of you might know as Hughes Syndrome or sticky blood. This makes me high risk for clots, strokes, and heart attacks.
The deep fear that I experienced trying to get through the aftermath of my first experience with clots is reflected here in my shop. In short, I moved into a frenzy of creativity, pouring my heart and soul into art and writing.
I launched my art initially to 'test the waters' and to fundraise for a power wheelchair, which you can see at the bottom of this post. In three months, I was able to raise enough money for my wheelchair and by December 2023, I decided to 'give back' to the communities that have supported me since 2009. As I live in Asia, I thought it would be fun to create lucky dragons for The Year of the Dragon. I created 16 Spondy Dragons for the Spondylitis Association of American (most of which have sold, but there are a few left in my shop) and 16 Fibro Dragons for Support Fibromyalgia Network. I'm involved heavily with both organizations.
In May 2024, I donated $200 to the SAA from my Spondy Dragon fundraiser and I'm now selling the remainder of my dragons to raise funds for these organizations.
Here's how it works: Your purchase includes shipping. Everything left over is donated to these two charities. To amp the purchase power of these packages, I designed four stickers for each package and four coloring pages, which will be included in your dragon package, along with another Surprise goodie from me.
Donate $25USD MIN and receive a Limited Edition Dragon package from Taiwan. You can view my full Dragon collection here: https://payhip.com/CarrieKellenberger/collection/fundraising-dragon-art
🐉 Your dragon package includes:
✔️ your Dragon of choice
✔️ a clear display envelope
✔️ Four dragon stickers designed by me
✔️ 4 original coloring pages created by me
✔️ And more!
🐉 Size: 20cm x 27.9cm (B5)
📬 SHIPPING INCLUDED no matter where you are in the world!
🧠 Please help me by smashing the like button so I can start mailing these beauties. 🙏💙
🤓 If you like snail mail, this will be fun!
Let's see how much we can raise for fibromyalgia brain research and Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Year of the Dragon! It makes me happy to know that my first blog post here supports others on their health journeys. I look forward to getting to know you all better through art.
Chronically yours,
Carrie Kellenberger, My Several Worlds - Chronic Pain and Disability Awareness
Visit my art and business portfolio at CarrieKellenberger.com for more information.
This was my first taste of freedom in many years. Walking and standing are privileges that I can rarely indulge in.