March 2026 Updates: Commissions & New Shop Items
- Mar 8
- 6 min read
Commissions Are Now Open!
I’m excited to announce that I’ve officially reopened commissions! While I am still prioritizing my health and managing my chronic conditions, I now have the ability to create a limited number of commissions.
Because having a chronic illness requires pacing and intensive self-care, I’m extending the timeline that commissions are created. In the past, I was able to complete commissions within a week of ordering. As much as I’d love to keep that pace going for my loyal customers, I have to take care of myself too and reduce stress as much as possible. Stress can cause a “flare” in my illness, which causes my symptoms to escalate and become unmanageable. In order to prevent this, I’ve extended my general commission deadlines.
While commissions may take up to a month to complete now, the actual timeline will vary depending on your project. At the earliest, you all can expect commissions to take a minimum of one week to complete. I no longer accept rush orders under any circumstances in order to preserve my health (and my sanity).
With the extended commission deadlines, I can guarantee your commissions will receive the utmost care during creation. Allowing additional time helps me to create something you love within my own limitations, as well as guarantee that your commission will be exactly what you are looking for. I’m excited to have extra time to dedicate to detail, care, and meaning in each piece.
Alongside commissions having new extended deadlines, they are also limited in content. In the past I took commissions based on technical skill and medium, and accepted most subjects and content types.
Now, I am positioning my commissions to become a one-on-one conversation to communicate the intended message and symbolism. Each piece will be carefully planned, executed, and created with devotion and sensitivity to meaning and representation. When commissioning a piece from me, I hope it is with the desire to create something beautiful and meaningful to you. For this reason, my commissions are now focused on how the art makes you feel and what it is intending to symbolize.
Shop My New Commission Types:
Identity: A custom portrait that explores your authentic self. I incorporate texture, color, symbolism, and stylized features to represent the "real you".
Emotional Translation: A piece inspired by a strong emotion or feeling. I use layering, abstraction, and flowing elements to represent emotional landscapes.
Transformative Event: A symbolic piece marking a big life change. It reflects not only the event itself, but what it meant to you and how it changed you.
Resonance: A piece inspired by personally meaningful songs, poems, or phrases. Includes layered text and a translation of the mood into color and symbolism.
If your commission idea overlaps categories, don’t worry! Submit the form to the best of your ability or shoot me an email and we can discuss your ideas. I’m excited to create meaningful, emotional artwork that fully reflects your experiences and values.
If you have a commission idea that doesn’t seem to fit into these categories, feel free to inquire about my additional services. At the moment, I am open to other types of commissions on a case-by-case basis. If your idea aligns with my ability and style, I’d still love to work with you! These categories are simply a guideline to better showcase my new services and position as an expressive artist passionate about creating meaningful work.
New Shop Items
As many of you know, I’ve been waiting to launch my stickers for some time now! Thankfully, I was able to complete the launch recently and have all my stickers available for purchase. These stickers were specially created for those with chronic illness and neurodivergence - in hopes to assist you in expressing yourself and finding connection and joy in a world that can be difficult to navigate.
All my shop items - prints, originals, and stickers - currently offer free shipping. I don’t want my customers to have to worry about high shipping prices when they are looking for relatable and meaningful art, so I removed it altogether. (This was a huge problem for me on Etsy, and one of the many reasons I ultimately disbanded my shop. Nobody wants to pay $10 shipping on a $3 sticker - I find that completely unreasonable.) I want to make things as fair as possible for my customers, especially as we navigate an ever-complex economy and financial difficulty. I hope that free shipping is helpful and encourages you to buy real art from real artists.
Speaking of real art - each sticker is hand-cut (meaning I cut them all out myself!) and unique. No two stickers are exactly the same, which makes each sticker special and individual. While I could use bulk-purchase or machine-cut stickers, the process of doing it myself helps me stay grounded and connected to my art. It also provides an extra level of care and personalization to each sticker, which I appreciate whenever I buy art from other artists.
Please note - if you are interested in purchasing multiple types of stickers, I have bundle options available! These are all discounted at 25-50% standard price and include a variety of fun and amusing stickers for you to enjoy.
Sticker Bundles (Discounted 25-50%):
I am more than happy to list additional bundles in the future - if you have pairing ideas that aren’t currently listed, please let me know! I’m happy to create custom bundles to ensure you receive only your favorite items.
New Painting: Borrowed Time
In addition to the stickers, I was able to add a new original painting to my shop. "Borrowed Time" is a piece that I started six months ago before my illness became too severe to continue my standard level of work. I painted the base details of the piece and put it into storage for a long time. Because of my chronic illness symptoms, such as hand tremors and severe back pain, I did not feel able to commit to such an intense project.
Thankfully, since receiving new treatment for my illness, my symptoms have begun to improve. I was able to complete the details on the painting and list it on my shop - it is now available for purchase!
“Borrowed Time” is an incredibly meaningful piece for me. It symbolizes my personal struggle with chronic illness and diagnosis, as well as representing common feelings and themes of chronic illness and the diagnosis process as a whole.
The clock and storm behind the woman represents the impending illness and anxiety that comes with awareness that you may eventually get sick. Since my illness is genetic and I had shown symptoms and markers for the illness seven years ago, I was well aware my time was coming. I knew I would get sick eventually and did everything I could to prevent it. Unfortunately, we cannot escape fate completely, and the illness happened anyway.
The flowers at the bottom and blooming from the figure represent the growth and resilience I’ve learned throughout the activation of my illness. Although the diagnosis and treatment process has been long and excruciating at times, I have learned so much about my own strength and ability to overcome negativity. I chose lavender for these flowers because it symbolizes calm, grace, and serenity through challenges. I was reminded of the serenity prayer and the encouragement to “grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
"Grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." - Serenity Prayer
The figure itself represents not just me and my personal experience with illness, but the experience of all women struggling with chronic illness. The exposed bones are indicative of joint pain, inflammation, fracture, and degeneration. The red and purple veins in the torso represent vascular disorders, heart conditions, and autonomic disorders that affect the entire body.
I hope with this piece you can take what resonates with you and leave the rest - and understand that although chronic illness can be scary and life-changing, it is not the end. I wanted this piece to capture the struggles of chronic illness and diagnosis, while also making room for growth and noticing the positives in difficult situations. There is no denying it is difficult - but we can overcome our situations and create positivity even in the darkest of times.
New & Upcoming in 2026
I’m looking forward to the remainder of the year and all the personal and professional growth I will encounter in the future. While I work on continuing to manage and treat my chronic illnesses, I am also learning how to redefine my identity as an artist and entrepreneur. These major shifts in identity, outlook, and lifestyle have continued to build my passion for helping others learn how to better care for and express themselves. I’m continuing my journey toward an art therapy master's degree in the meantime, and still working on moving out of my hometown toward a new lifestyle of peace and tranquility. I plan to continue writing new blog posts about chronic illness, neurodivergence, and therapeutic art practices as I learn more about art therapy and expressive arts. I will also be vlogging on my YouTube channel more often, and hope to see you all there!
Much love,
Heather
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