Abi Stevens

Illustrator and chronic warrior making colourful illustrations. See their portfolio at www.abistevens.com.

[abistevens]

The first pin in my new campaign was unlocked before midnight last night! AHHHH!!! 😆 Thank you to everyone who backed so far! 😊 

Next up will be the pink, red and white version of the Pills Are OK rainbow enamel pin.

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This collection is important to me because stigma against medication has effected me personally: as a teenager I stopped taking my ADHD medication in part because the other students in school would make fun of me for having to be fetched from class to take it every day. 

I don't want anyone else to feel ashamed or embarrassed of the medication they need to get by so this collection is for everyone who needs tablets, inhalers, injections or other medical intervention! I'm so happy I get to make some of these designs for sure! 😊

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Do you prefer the rainbow or the pink colour-way?

[abistevens]

The Pills Are OK

Enamel pins, stickers, patches, and more, for spoonies everywhere; to remind us medication isn't shameful! Inspired by Menhera fashion!

I've just launched my new Kickstarter for my The Pills Are OK collection! XD XD First up for funding is this hard enamel pin of my Pills Are OK rainbow design.

[jmfenner91]

Two versions of this piece since I can't decide on one

[abistevens]

Here's another work in progress for #MagicalMothWeek (an awesome drawing challenge over on Instagram).

The prompt for this one was 'cosmic navigator' and I had a lot of fun with it!

I'm so enjoying working on this challenge: I've rediscovered my love of drawing without a product of client in mind!

[abistevens]

Here's my second contribution to #MagicalMothWeek!

This time I felt like getting stuck into more detail so I wound up going straight to outlines instead of a sketch like the first prompt. 😄 

The prompt for this one was 'Scale Covered Wings' and I was curious about it so I looked it up and learned that moth wings are actually covered in tiny little scales! How cool is that!?

😲 

So this drawing incorporates patterns referenced from varying shapes of moth's wing scales seen in super-close-up photographs, as well as some corner dragons a la illuminated manuscript style because I'll seize any excuse to reference those and the word 'scales' was enough for me! 😂 

A friend already told me I need to make a colouring book with these moth drawings lol! I think that would be pretty cool.

Would you like to colour this in yourself someday?

[abistevens]

Here are some crops from the page layout illustrations I did as part of my commission work for Closer Than You Think's disability justice report last year! 😄 

Organisations and projects like these are so important because they raise awareness and understanding, and draw support to the places and people who need it the most.

When it comes to ableism in our culture much of it is fuelled by ignorance due to lack of education, exposure, and genuine stories about people with disabilities.

If abled students are separated into different classes and sometimes entirely different schools, then how will children learn to accept and understand our differences? How will they remember to think of us as real people with real problems at no fault of our own instead of the abstract 'leeches' on society that the media and the Tories like to portray us as?

In order to change this pattern of 'othering' disabled people we do everything we can to make ourselves heard, acknowledged and understood. We need our advocates, influencers and journalists, actors and writers, doctors and nurses and receptionists with disabilities because they help us to make space for ourselves, and how we determinedly demand accessibility, equality, acknowledgement and care.

They don't want to see us but we will MAKE them!

That's why in Disability Pride Month I've made a resolution with myself to stop being just a spectator and and artist and talk more about what matters to our Spoonie community. 

I only have a small platform but I want to use it to contribute more. 💪 

What do you wish people knew about your disability/chronic illness, or what it's like living as a disabled person today?

[abistevens]

For Disability Pride Month I want to celebrate and support fellow chronically ill/disabled artists! Comment with you faves (or share your own makes if you're a spoonie too)! I'll share some in a post later this week! :D

[abistevens]

I'm taking part in #MagicalMothWeek. This prompt week is hosted by Kristin Held Art and Sandra Staub over on Instagram, so thank you very much folks! I've had a lot of fun sketching for the first prompt; Diverse Flyers! ✨ 

I'm going to be focusing mainly on having fun with this and not pushing myself to post completely finished illustrations every 2 days as I know that's a push that would - for me - make this stressful and a 'demand' instead of a joy, so this is a rare coloured sketch because I was just going with the flow.

It feels like I've finally re-discovered my love of drawing through the sketching I've done for this challenge so far! When you're dealing with chronic illness and trying to run your own business it can be difficult to hold onto that so it's a precious find! 😊 

What do you think?

I haven't drawn something that was just for the hell of it in a long while. 😊

[abistevens]

Here's a fun logo commission I drew for The Anti Charity Shop at the end of last year (from sketch to final!)

The Anti Charity Shop is a website cataloging indie businesses run by chronically ill/disabled people and it's a great way to support others in the spoonie community!

Jess wanted a logo referencing charity shops and we settled on this design inspired by the old school large charity boxes, often shaped like dogs, that used to be found outside shops.

You can browse the catalogue at theanticharityshop dot com.

I hope you like it! 

What's your favourite spoonie indie business?

[abistevens]

I decided to join in a fun drawing prompt challenge: Magical Moth Week, hosted by Kristnin Held Art and Sandra Straub over on Instragram.

I'm looking forward to having fun with this one!

I'll probably stick to mostly sketching for the duration and finish them later because I prefer not to rush and stress out about doing them 'in time'.

What cool moths should I draw?

[abistevens]

Want to see me in real life and browse my wares in person!? I'll be at the summer Brew and Friends market in @thehallsnorwich this Sunday, 10.30am-4.30pm! I'll have all my current stock with me, including the last 2 Dyslexic Warrior enamel pins, and even some new acrylic pins I haven't shared online yet! ✨ Will I see you there? What are you doing this weekend?

[abistevens]

Did you know that the Dyslexic Warrior pin from my newest Chronic Warrior collection was a commi55ion?

One very cool K1ckstarter supporter backed for a custom design and requested one for Dyslexia. It seemed like kismet because the next batch of designs for the Chronic collection (next year) will be Neurodivergence themed! So I'm thinking of Dyslexic Warrior as the advanced guard lol.

I was really happy to be able to create this new illustration/pin and I had a lot of fun experimenting with adding curly leafy elements to my designs. I think they add a nice balance with the weaponry! What do you think?

If you'd like to help bring more Chronic Warrior's into the world you could commission one from me too! Drop me an email at [email protected] if you're interested!

What would you like to see in the Neurodivergent collection next year?

[abistevens]

I'm All Out Of Spoons!

Do you know what a 'spoonie' is? 🥄✨ Many members of the Chronically Ill community refer to ourselves as spoonies thanks to the Spoon Theory developed by writer Christine Miserandino in 2003! Miserandino came up with Spoon Theory to explain to a friend at lunch how having Lupus impacts the ability to complete daily tasks, creating the analogy of having a limited number of 'spoons' each day as a measure of limited energy. Every 'spoon' represents a finite unit of energy! 🥄 Healthy people may have an unlimited or very high number of 'spoons' to use each day, but people with Lupus, Chronic Fatigue or other Chronic illnesses have to ration our small number of spoons throughout the day. Also, because of varying levels of fatigue and pain it can also be difficult to predict how many spoons we have left, or how many spoons we'll have tomorrow. 'Spoons' provides you with a solid way to explain varying energy levels and capabilities to others, and it's a useful shorthand among the community. You'll often see/hear spoonies say that they 'don't have spoons' for something or that we're 'all out of spoons'.  Some people with fatigue also use the 'spoons' method as a practical way to plan their day; using their knowledge of how many 'spoons' tasks take up for them to plan what they can do in a day without severely worsening their symptoms. 🥄✨🥄 Do you use 'spoons' too? Or do you have any questions about spoons, or fatigue?

[abistevens]

July is Disability Pride Month!

To me Disability Pride means not being ashamed of things I can't change; accepting who I am and what I deal with on a daily basis.

Being proud of who we are with our disabilities means accepting each other as we are and meeting each other where we're at without judgement!

This Disability Pride Month I want to start doing more for our community, so I'm going to be talking about issues facing disabled and chronically ill people on my socials and in my newsletter, and using my platform to help others tell their stories and educate.

Do you have stories or experiences you'd like to share?

What would you like people to know about living with chronic illness and disability?

[spicymochi]

choose your goose

[goingdownmycase]

Sorry for this relatable shit. My anxiety has been a bitch lately.

[jackscarab]

How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, summarized in six panels.

[cryoverkiltmilk]

Sometimes a post calls you out, and sometimes it calls you out by name.

This post not only called me out by name, it used the middle name for good measure.

[abistevens]

My stall and I at London Comic Con today at the Olympia!

I'll be there tomorrow too, 9am-6pm. :)