On this episode of Talking Head Pain, Sarah is joined by Judith Klausner, a migraine patient and an artist from Massachusetts with a love for small, intricate, and overlooked things. Judith’s experience of invisible disability and chronic pain plays an integral role in how she views the world and creates art. Her work has been featured in Harper’s magazine, Reader’s Digest, the Huffington Post, and NPR. 

Join Sarah and Judith as they discuss the inspiration for her children’s book on migraine attacks, Noah the Narwhal: A Tale of Downs and Ups as well as creating art with chronic and mental illnesses, and the importance of rest as a form of productivity.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:00: Sarah kicks off the episode by asking Judith what word she would use to describe her migraine attacks

01:48: Judith shares about the complexity and various aspects of migraine and recounts her worst migraine attack

02:58: Sarah emphasizes the importance of discussing how migraine attacks can impact significant life events, like a wedding

05:12: Judith shares her journey of finding a supportive community of migraine patients on Twitter and how it led her to write a children's book

08:19: Judith explains why she chose a narwhal as the protagonist of her book

09:32: Judith discusses how her art is influenced by her chronic condition, creating visual representations of her migraine attacks and turning her medical ephemera into pieces of art

11:59: Sarah and Judith discuss the importance of recognizing and celebrating the chronic illness community and how strength and beauty is often overlooked in the chronic illness community

14:14: Sarah asks what advice Judith would give to artists who have a chronic condition and who are just beginning their artistic journey

17:39: Judith shares her best self-care tips

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