Megan Parker Artist
“Stories From the Trails: Unlikely Adventurers”
“Stories from the Trails: Unlikely Adventurers” is a project that has been calling my heart in a way I knew I could no longer ignore. It melds together some of the most important aspects of my life: being an artist, an avid mountain/outdoors explorer, an advocate for those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) and a storyteller, being particularly drawn to telling the stories of invisible struggles that are often not well understood. After all, we all experience struggles and setbacks in our lives and perhaps by being open about these hardships, we can all relate to one another a little better and further perpetuate kindness, compassion, and empathy towards each other.
Living with CF is complex, all-consuming and heavy. You can do all the right things and yet still not have total ability to control the outcomes. Chronic lung infections, plummeting lung function, hospitalizations, home IVs, double lung transplants, an intense daily treatment load, and a heavy burden of baseline symptoms (to name a few) are some of the ways that cystic fibrosis threatens our ability to adventure outdoors in the ways that we would like. Despite this (or perhaps because of this?), CF has a way of weaving resilience, kindness and fierce strength throughout the people it impacts, something that makes the losses even more palpable and unfair.
Each painting in this series will feature one trail, hike, run, trip, or outdoor accomplishment, juxtaposed with the story behind it and a photo that depicts the reality of CF at the time of the adventure, illuminating invisible illness and the forced resilience and grief that’s woven deep below the surface and often isn’t recognized unless somebody is brave enough to talk about it. These stories will remind us how important it is to understand that there is more to everybody’s story than is outwardly visible.
These are the stories I want to tell: the stories from the trails of incredibly resilient (not by choice) human beings that are simply doing their best to do the things that bring them meaning and joy.
Do you live with cystic fibrosis and want to have your story included in my series? If yes, please fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch! (If it’s easier to arrange a call from me to share your story, please head to my general contact page and we’ll coordinate a time to connect on the phone or zoom)
**Please note: the painting will be created in my artistic voice and I am unable to take requests for specific painting styles.
My goal is to get 30-50 stories together to include in this body of work. I will then compile these stories and paintings to be displayed in a solo exhibition and turn into a book. I also will apply to various grants with the goal of having prints/stories donated to be displayed in CF clinics across North America (…and beyond?).
What’s in in for you if you choose to participate?
the chance to share your story and increase awareness about this illness, highlighting our stories of strength and resilience
opportunity to purchase the painting at a discounted price (or opportunity to purchase a print at cost) - **please note that I (of course) live with cystic fibrosis, have a part-time job and am a mom to busy kids - so this project will likely take over a year to complete, meaning you will have to wait awhile before I am able to ship you the original if you opt to purchase.
Help me Tell Your Story Through my Art
Witness Our Stories
If I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that something incredibly powerful happens when our stories are heard. Thank you to everyone that has bravely shared their stories from the trails.
**To read the story, click on the image.
