Greetings, 

My name is Josephine Dechant, I am a rare disease warrior, neurodivergent wanderer and self-taught artist who has found a sanctuary of peace within the creative flow mind waves.

I have been diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic mutation that will lead to end stage renal failure (ADTKD-MUC1)  and a rare autoinflammatory condition called Still’s disease. There is nothing I can do to fix my kidneys; they will inevitably fail me and my reality lies in the hopes of a future kidney transplant or eventual routine dialysis treatment. My pain is systemic and invisible meaning I look fine to people as my body does not present itself with an outward deformity yet my insides are riddled with deteriorating complications.  I do not wish for sympathy, rather I hope to use my art as a voice for others who may be struggling in life or battling conventional modes of thinking. 

Temple Grandin often speaks about the need for our society to accept nontraditional thinkers or those who learn through an atypical lens, as complex problems often require extreme imagination. In her own words, “Rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that, while it might struggle to conjugate a verb, could one day take us to distant starts”.

 

I hope my art opens an understanding towards others who may not fit into the normalcy of  societal standards, policies which create ableism, and traditions that stifle beguiling daydreams.