My Story

Welcome to Chronically Crafting! My name is Tea, and I'm a queer and disabled artist from rural Australia. 

Ever since I can remember, I've loved to draw. I would spend hours doodling in my sketchbooks, taking inspiration from movies, TV shows, and books. I loved creating fun fantasy characters and escaping into my imagination. 

When I was 17, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. Since then my health has been impacted in lots of different ways that made it hard for me to function as normal. I started uploading my art to print-on-demand sites like RedBubble and Threadless to earn a little extra cash while I studied and looked for work. 

As time went on, my health conditions made going to work a daunting task. I suffered from debilitating migraines, constant joint pain, and boughts of light-headedness. I spent more time making art and building up my social media presence so that I had some source of income. 

Then in late 2024, something clicked. I was already making art and marketing it to be sold. Not just that, but people were buying it! Why couldn't I make art my job? 

So I decided to take Chronically Crafting from a side-hustle to a proper business. Being chronically ill is a scary and isolating experience: I wanted to make art that helped people like me feel less alone. Taking my love for unusual animals and fantasy creatures, I create designs that allow people to express pride in their identities and to find their own communities. 

I hope you'll stick around a while and enjoy the art that I'm cooking up! I'm so grateful that I can live out my dreams and make art that makes a difference!