Eczema, Creativity, and Learning to Live in My Body
Darchelle Burnett, taken on a canon G7X Mark II, at Eczema Expo 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
For a long time, eczema was something I tried to manage quietly.
It showed up on my skin, but it also showed up in how I moved through the world, how I dressed, how I showed up in public spaces, and how visible I allowed myself to be. Living with eczema meant learning how to navigate discomfort, unpredictability, and the emotional weight of having a body that didn’t always cooperate with expectations.
Over time, I realized that eczema wasn’t just a condition I lived with, it was shaping how I understood identity, care, and creativity.
More Than Skin Deep
Eczema is often talked about in clinical terms: symptoms, triggers, treatments. While those conversations are important, they rarely capture the full experience of living in a body that is constantly responding to its environment.
For me, eczema has been physical, emotional, and deeply personal. It has influenced how I think about visibility, self-expression, and rest. It’s also taught me how interconnected our bodies are with our environments, our stress, and our sense of belonging.
There were moments when I felt disconnected from my body, frustrated by flare-ups, exhausted by trial and error, and unsure how to advocate for myself in medical or social spaces.
Creativity as a Form of Care
What surprised me most was how creativity became a place of grounding.
Art and creative expression offered a way to process what I couldn’t always articulate. Painting, designing, and storytelling allowed me to explore texture, color, and form in ways that felt both soothing and expressive. Creativity didn’t fix my eczema, but it helped me feel more at home in my body.
Through creative work, I found permission to slow down, listen, and respond with care instead of frustration.
Visibility, Identity, and Choice
Living with eczema also raised questions about visibility.
When do I explain?
When do I protect my privacy?
When do I show up as I am, without apology?
There is no single “right” way to navigate visibility. For me, it became about choice. Choosing when to share, when to rest, and when to take up space without explanation.
Eczema challenged me to redefine confidence, not as perfection, but as presence.
How This Shaped My Work
Much of what I do now, through art, storytelling, and Creative Inclusion, is informed by this lived experience.
Eczema taught me that inclusion must be embodied. It’s not just about access or awareness, but about creating environments where people can exist without constantly managing discomfort, judgment, or invisibility.
This understanding influences how I design workshops, create art, and think about care-centered creativity. It reminds me that healing is not linear and that identity is shaped through what we navigate, not just what we choose.
Acknowledging me and you
If you’re living with eczema, or any condition that impacts how you experience your body, know that you’re not alone.
There is space for complexity, rest, and creativity. There is room to redefine what confidence looks like and to build care practices that honor where you are.
For me, creativity became one of those practices, a way to listen, reflect, and show up with more compassion.
