about this project

Why do I care more than you do about your ill-fitting shoes?

Feet are usually the last thing we often see when looking at someone. They are out of sight lines, hidden in shoes, off Zoom screens or tucked under desks. But they a beating as they bear our weight to support us and help us get around.

---

Project abstract:

Many patients (including myself) ignore chronic foot pain until it requires aggressive intervention. After enduring three foot surgeries myself, and understanding how arduous the recovery process is, I am on a mission to educate others about the importance of foot health. As a Graphic Medicine artist who has been making patient advocacy comics about my bipolar and other conditions since 2019, I use humor to bring light to patient concerns that are often neglected, minimized, or stigmatized. By raising awareness about foot health, I hope to help patients avoid preventable conditions that could have a devastating impact on their livelihoods and on their overall quality of life.

I also hope to increase awareness of foot-related health issues and reduce stigma and confusion around seeking treatment. Foot problems can lead to larger musculoskeletal issues, not to mention missed work, which brings further economic challenges. My key audience is folks who work on their feet, as they are disproportionately affected by these issues.

Project Aims

• AIM 1: To hear the experiences of people who have and those who treat foot issues.
• AIM 2: Create a work that can share these experiences and invite conversations and action about foot health on the part of patients and clinicians.
• AIM 3: Build the foundation for sustained engagement on this topic: a digital repository of resources.