Ankylosing spondylitis breaks me from inside. Marrow burns, spine clenches, vertebrae grind in the dark. Pelvis locks, shoulders weld, neck rusts. Each twist chisels bone. I curl, black ink on bleeding red, a seed splitting open, not to bloom but to bleed. Yet my pulse stitches the wound, one beat at a time. Splintered Seed by Rae Sabine #ankylosingspondylitis #chronicpainart #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart

When Gender Happens to Me by Rae Sabine Gender is often something that happens to me. It arrives in the weight of words, in expectations I never asked for. It lands on me like a borrowed coat that never fits quite right. #arttherapist #arttherapistart #arttherapistlife #arttherapist #nonbinaryartist #nonbinaryart

Silver green leaves rest together, soft as velvet in my hands. When I touch them, their calm moves through me, and I find myself settling back into the ground. Velvet Leaves by Rae Sabine #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart #mindfulnessart #sensorygardenart

I am past gut full, the kind of tired that settles into bone and stays, Do not mistake me for spineless, I am spine full, ever fused, segments carrying what I can no longer swallow, a body shaped by pain, by the constant weight of a world that asks too much, I do not bend, ever steadfast, for a system never built for me. Self-Portrait, Bone Side Out by Rae Sabine #ankylosingspondylitis #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart

This is my Inside Outside Box. The outside reflects how I am often seen by others and includes words that can feel jarring and dysphoric to receive. It speaks to the infantilisation and femininity that are so often projected onto me. The inside reveals who I truly am, showing my love for art, nature, animal rights and more. These are the parts that are sometimes unseen unless someone takes the time to know me with care and curiosity. Inside/Outside Box by Rae Sabine #insideou

Have You Tried Exercising? They said it like a cure, as if sweat could straighten bone, as if willpower could uncoil pain. But this spine tells a different story, years of quiet wars beneath the skin, vertebrae and bones locking with time, a body learning the language of pain. I have tried everything, movement, stillness, surrender, and still it never leaves. This is not weakness or refusal, but the shape of endurance, the body’s quiet defiance, the art of staying alive. Poem

The story of a spine bound by fire and time. A glimpse beneath the surface, vertebrae locking, inflammation rising. Where fusion and flame meet, the quiet war within Ankylosing spondylitis. Spinal Fusion by Rae Sabine #ankylosingspondylitis #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart

With all my heart, I thank Heather Barker from @heartwork_art_therapy for crafting this stunning artwork of me and my beloved Shōga cat! I absolutely adore her vibrant, imaginative style and how much I love we incredible work! Shōga, with his sensational snuggles every morning, holds a special place in my heart, making this piece even more precious to me. Shōga and Rae by @heartwork_art_therapy #arttherapistart #arttherapistartist #artstherapistart #arttherapistlife #artthera

Centuries have not softened the story written in bone. The spine and pelvis of a 6th-century skeleton, inspired by an image from the Ankylosing spondylitis Wikipedia page. This piece bears witness to how pain and endurance intertwine, leaving echoes of struggle long after life has ended. Ancient Fusion by Rae Sabine #ankylosingspondylitis #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart

A jade plant is woven within a vertebral column. A jade plant’s stems stiffen and harden into trunks as they grow, mirroring the fusion of vertebrae in ankylosing spondylitis. This piece was inspired by @unstrungstudios and reflects how painful the process of fusion can be, yet how it also exists in nature. Natural Fusion by Rae Sabine #ankylosingspondylitis #arttherapistart #arttherapist #arttherapistlife #arttherapistsart

“Dear Rae, So lovely to hang with you in your lovely art space. Shōga is adorable! I’m excited fo many more conversations and to hear...

Pants and painting in the studio. We do feel blessed when Mashu decides to visit. She often looks confused how anything could be more...

Mashu came in to supervise me during a zoom session yesterday. She enjoyed a few pats before decided it was nap time on the couch. I feel...