May 6, 2024 –
Once there was a geeky, omnivert, go-getter in their late 20s. They were taking their PhD while teaching courses, assisting with international research, and leading a 500+ member labour Union. Even as a child, they wanted to help others achieve their goals, and they hoped to reach this through teaching and advocacy work. In their free time, they volunteered, played sports, tended to their one-acre garden, renovated their new farmhouse, participated in charity walks, and joined whatever events, parades, and protests that fit their values.
Then one day they fell ill… and never fully recovered. Instead, they slowly regressed the more they tried to lead a normal life. Doctors repeatedly dismissed it as stress and burnout, but despite constantly cutting back on activities, it reached the point where walking, talking, showering, and other basic activities of daily living were a challenge. Eventually, they had to step down from all their roles, drop out of university, sell their dream home, buy multiple mobility and health-monitoring aids, and move to a home without stairs in a city with better health supports.
That person was me, and this company is my way of finding a silver lining and trying to share it with those around me.
After years of being mostly bed-bound, too disabled for any of the jobs I’d otherwise be qualified for, I was getting cabin fever (I was social distancing long before it was a thing).
I finally had diagnoses, but only partially benefitted from treatments. I often couldn’t think straight, move around, or have deep conversations without wearing myself out.
As someone who was previously training to be a professional know-it-all, this was a major hit to my sense of identity and purpose.
Despite this, I never lost three key parts of me: my passion for raising awareness on critical issues, encouraging those around me, and my cheeky sense of humour. So my partner and I made shirt designs to capture some of those witty ideas. We started taking requests from friends and family to make them shirts, too; some funny, some poignant, and some a healthy mix of the two. This brought a lot of joy to a life that had been cut off from most of its previous ambitions.
Clothing has become an important form of self expression for me. With the stares I sometimes get while using mobility aids, there’s much I’d like to say, exclaim, explain, and make others aware of, but I have to save all that emotional energy for staying as healthy as possible. So, I let my clothes do the talking.
It’s a way for me to be heard, even when I don’t have the energy to speak.
Whether or not you struggle with chronic illness, I hope CheekyDeesigns can do the same for you.
So why the chickadee?
I’ve always loved them, but now they’ve taken on a deeper meaning for me.
They are small little guys, but they are hardy, social, spirited, and they will literally tell you who they are whenever you cross paths with them. Cheeky-dee-dee-dee! (sorry)
– Amy