Optimistic, free spirited, adventurous and deep thinking .These are the words I would use to describe both Katie Moon (with her star sign being Sagittarius) and her beautiful illustrations! I have been watching Katies work go from strength to strength from the moment I first met her when she had a market stall opposite mine over a year ago. At the time Katie had a mixture of goods for sale along side her artwork including hanging Japanese kokedama plants.
I visited Katie at her home for a chat and an insight into the things she surrounds herself for inspiration. It was a relaxing day with the bird singing and wind chimes gently chiming in the breeze as we sat outside before going into her room to chat further and be shown a sneak peak of her work to come.
At 22 Katie has already had her fair share of challenges with having been suffering from Lyme Disease for the last four years. Having explained she had often been unwell as a child and seemed to develop allergies to different things, it took some time to find out what was actually wrong. A test for Lyme Disease came back positive, with also a co-infection called Babesia. Although not the nicest diagnosis it did help to explain the many symptoms she was experiencing. Katie had already finished school and was studying Nutrition at Uni for a couple of years until her symptoms interrupted being able to continue. A year and half later she was able to resume studies however she is currently having a break from her Naturopathic studies and is pursuing her artwork.
Lyme Disease is a controversial issue here in Australia with many Doctors not knowing enough about the disease and even disbelief. We do not have funding here in Australia for help as it is still not accepted that it exists in Australia. Even thought there are thousands of people who are known to be suffering in Australia and any Doctors in Australia who specialise in this disease are overrun with trying to help these sufferers.
Although Katie is currently alot better than she has been, she still does experience some symptoms. At her worst her whole body was affected. Chronic fatigue, dizziness, body felt like lead, breathless, not being able to even get up because of weakness, extreme brain fog, forgetfulness, migraines, allergic reactions, multiple chemical sensitivity, gut problems, cramps, reflux and feeling sick when eating.
This has probably contributed to Katie seeking alternatives to help manage her symptoms. She has had to give up many foods including all animal products and fatty foods. She now only eats 100% organic and if you follow her personal
instagram page you will see many photos of delicious smoothies and raw delights! It is obviously working for her as she doesn't have cravings or is ever hungry. Katie is as active as possible, going on bike rides and doing yoga even when at her most unwell to keep up her strength.
Now having a break from her studies has enabled Katie to devote more time to her other passion -
artwork! She has just completed a business plan to help her plan her next year with markets and is currently building up stock to share with the world. Mandalas, crystals, flowers and celestial elements currently feature heavily in her work with Katie working on a range of prints and cards for different occasions. She is constantly inspired and writes down her ideas as they come to her. She is also working on doing commercial work including logos etc. Check out Katies page on
Facebook for updates as well as follow her on artwork page on
instagram!
