Diabetesopoly: The Living With Diabetes Game

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February 3rd was Diabetes Art Day, and yes, Mom, I'm still late with my assignments. Some things never change. 

Much like the ubiquitous board game, living with diabetes is a strategic effort between the body, the mind and many external factors. As much as this piece shows many aspects to be considered by people living with diabetes, it also gives an insight into the complexity of living with it.

Larry and I collaborated on this board. Larry has been living with Type 2 for about 8 years and I've been living with Type 1 for 25 years. Needless to say, we've been around the board a few times.




Imagined by: Larry & Jamie
Medium: Digital (using Excel 2007)
Monopoly Copyright: Public Domain

I admit, our submission went beyond the norm, but what the heck. I think Larry and I have expressed ourselves quite nicely via this traditional office software turned alternative art form - a digital media and a simple game board. And believe it or not, Excel and lots of imagination were the only mediums used for this project. Ok, I admit, the cupcake image was 'borrowed'.

In our household, we express ourselves in two ways - words and music. Of course it can be argued that music is an art form, but does not work well in this format. As for words, by default, are somewhat off limits for the nature of this project.

This creation has been posted at this year's Diabetes Art Day 2014 Gallery. I urge you to wander over there at some point soon. It's definitely a worthwhile trip.

Now, for the uninitiated who might be wondering what Diabetes Art Day is all about, it is best summed up by Lee Ann Thill:

Diabetes Art Day is a web-based initiative for the Diabetes Online Community to “tell a story” about life with diabetes though creative visual expression. It’s a way for us to tell our stories so we can connect and share with each other and with our loved ones. It’s a way to generate diabetes awareness outside of the DOC by sharing artwork on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and community websites. Diabetes Art Day is for people young and old with any type of diabetes and their families, so children, spouses, parents, siblings, or anyone who is affected by diabetes can participate. For this one day, you’re encouraged to break out of your linguistic comfort zone, bust out some art materials, and make a piece of artwork – painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, an installation piece, a mixed media something or other, or whatever you can imagine. Whether you have lots of experience making art or none at all, Diabetes Art Day is for you to show the world what it’s like to live with diabetes in that “a picture is worth 1000 words” kind of way. 

So there you have it. Our Diabetes Art Day submission for 2014. We'd love to hear what you have to say about our alternative art expression.

Get your art on, part 2

So, I got my art on for Diabetes Art Day. Did you?

I'll go first. Here's my first submission for 2012...

And then I suddenly realized I had done some "delicious" art last February to celebrate World Diabetes Day, so I uploaded that too...

So have you got your art on yet?

Now for the couch surfing voyeurs in the group, surf on over to Lee Ann Thill's Diabetes Art Day site to see what everybody else is doing...

And for the all the doers in the group (that's you, right?), get out your brushes, cameras, diabetes supplies, pastels, pencil crayons, glue guns and just get crazy...

Get your art on

So, did you know that Diabetes Art Day is coming up? Well, it's fast approaching on September 24th. But don't despair, it's not too late.

You say you don't know what that is?

Fair enough, but if you're out of the loop, I'm here to tell you that it's a fun and cathartic event.

2011 D Art submission from yours truly (was @Jamie_Na at the time) 

Now you're saying you don't have any ideas. C'mon, I'm sure you can come up with something. It doesn't even need to be "arts and craft-y". I'm not, although I'd love to be. But I just do not have the craft gene. I used to give my younger sister a bribe part of my weekly allowance to draw maps in geography for me. I failed at sketching an amoeba in biology.

But instead, what I did get was the diabetes gene. Aren't I lucky? And if you are reading this, I'm betting you either have, or know someone who has, the diabetes gene.

So like, I'm picking up my digital brush again this year and I'm painting some words that tell a diabetes story, and if you are looking for some ideas, check some out here. Also there's some cool and REALLY easy ideas here (not diabetes related, but they might get you thinking) that I'm sure can work for you.

It's not too late. Really, it's not.

So get your art on and head on right over here to read all about it and get your D on for 2012.