My hands are pretty rough. I admit, they've pretty much always been that way. As a very young person, I would run my fingers along the calluses wondering if they would ever be soft. But it never bothered me. I was always in my happy place, sewing, crocheting, or drawing. Lately, they're extra rough. They have been through so much and have made so many things. Add in an extra layer of complicated, too.
I have an autoimmune disease. It's so weird to say it, too. It's always been my normal. I've actually had it most of my life. It was triggered "on" when I was in middle school, and I've been dealing with it ever since. I live with the wonderful world of psoriasis. I've been dealing with psoriatic arthritis for a year now, on and off. It is so painful, and it is something I never thought I'd ever have to deal with because I never knew it was a thing. But I know exactly what it is when it hits. I have experienced not even being able to close my hand or pick things up because of the pain.
I have a mild case, and I just learned to live with it after trying to eradicate it with no success. At one point, I was completely vegan and dairy free and would run several miles a day, but even that lifestyle change didn't get rid of it.
Last July, I injured one of my fingers, and my body decided to protest and retaliate. As I worked regularly making hair flowers, if I injured my fingers, it would take a long time to heal; much longer than usual. My injuries then became bloody messes. The minor cuts would just get even bigger until I was forced to give them a rest. I couldn't get blood on my flowers! My body had gone into overdrive and the small injury would become wounds I couldn't heal. It was wild!
The hands of an artist always fascinate me. I question: Do they have the same calluses as mine? How often have they bled? Do they ache? How many times have they been pinned, stapled, or pricked?