Welcome, friend.
I’m Lauren Watt, founder of Lauren’s Easel, and I'm a 22-year-old Christian seeking to find, create, and share beauty.
When I was just 14, I became severely ill and disabled. I saw many doctors and received diagnoses of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Gastroparesis, and Babesia odocoilei and Bartonella, both of which are tick-borne infections. Most of those years I was bedridden, suffering from symptoms including severe fatigue, brain fog, headaches, pain, nausea, fevers, sound and light sensitivity, the list goes on…
Eventually, in 2023, I decided to try the Dynamic Neural Retraining System and Sarah Jackson Coaching. Both programs work to rewire the brain and rehabilitate the limbic system, which is often at the root of chronic illness. My life is completely different now as a result of the programs! I'm off many medications and all antimicrobials, and I recently got my driver's license. I take long walks, run, and enjoy working outside. I have the cognitive ability to study again, and I am taking online classes for college credit.
Why I Started Lauren's Easel
During my sickest years, I was hardly able to do anything, except sometimes look outside my window or look at pretty pictures on cards I'd received. I also frequently did Google image searches — looking at pictures was my attempt to find some beauty and to think about things that were lovely, pure, and admirable, when my thoughts could easily slip into despair in a body that felt like a prison cell.
Thankfully, in 2020, I began to regain some strength and mental focus, and my parents gifted me with color pencils so that I could draw in bed. Draw I did, and much of my inspiration came from the pictures I'd spent hours looking at before.
My vision for creating and sharing art at Lauren's Easel is perfectly summed up in this L.M. Montgomery quote from Anne of Avonlea:
"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. ... "I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me. . .to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born."
With my art, I desire to add beauty to your life and the lives of those you love. And by purchasing from my store you'll also be blessing me as all profits go to my medical GoFundMe campaign as I continue my journey to wellness.
