FUMS 114 - The Art of Rebellion With Kick-Ass MSer Lydia Emily

FUMS: Giving Multiple Sclerosis The Finger

Content warning: this episode includes a discussion about Lydia's personal experiences of Primary Progressive MS and her plans with regards to Death with Dignity, aka Suicide.

Lydia Emily Archibald is an artist to her core. She was born in Chicago to globe-trotting activist parents, and this laid the foundation for her socially-conscious and politically-motivated artworks, including the creation of large-scale murals. Lydia Emily's work has been featured at gallery shows in Milan, Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

After battling cancer, Lydia was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012. She later became a spokesperson for the MS Society, sharing the story of her diagnosis and life with MS and her message of hope for others with the disease.

Lydia Emily is the subject of the recent documentary The Art of Rebellion, a feature-length film from Bluprint Films directed by Libby Spears. I think she is an amazing person, living an amazing life, and I'm sure you'll agree.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How Lydia received her MS diagnosis only TWO YEARS after battling cancer!
• How she started painting and the different materials she has used instead of canvases
• The political and socially conscious art that Lydia makes, the adaptations that she has made, and the team that supports her in the creation of her large-scale murals
• The symptoms that Lydia and Kathy share, and why Lydia thinks the US Healthcare system is trying to wipe out or "cleanse" the chronically ill
• The plans that Lydia has in place for her death with dignity, aka suicide
• Information about the full-length feature documentary about Lydia, The Art of Rebellion

Full show notes and resources at https://fumsnow.com/fums114/