Meet Carrie Pizzalato

We were lucky to catch up with Carrie Pizzalato recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carrie, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I have bipolar with psychotic features, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADD, all stemming from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I work hard every day on my mental health and it isn’t easy. Some days it’s hard to get out of bed, some days it’s hard to get done what needs to be done, but I somehow always manage to at least finish what I absolutely need to. If I can’t? There’s always tomorrow. Living with chronic mental and physical illness isn’t easy, but I’ve made a life for myself, with my art and jewelry, with my pets, and most importantly, with my little family. I am married and we have one son, Gio, my world. Overcoming mental health obstacles while trying to be a full time artist and jewelry designer can be hard, but I put my all into it and make it work. When I had my son I was working as a veterinary technician, three months after I had him I had post partum psychosis for 3 1/2 weeks followed by years of post partum depression. After the psychosis subsided I realized I could never work a 9 to 5 job again. I began looking for alternatives. I was already making jewelry while I was a veterinary technician, so it seemed like something I could really get into. And since I looked animals and anatomy so much I decided to pour my time and energy first into creating bone jewelry. I clean many bones myself, using water maceration on road kill and passed pets and other dead things I find. I love the process. I love the biology. My bachelor’s degree is in biology and my master’s degree is in public health. I also spent two years in veterinary school but had to take a leave of absence when my brother died of an opioid overdose. While I was away I worked as a veterinary technician and decided being a veterinarian wasn’t for me. So I got my MPH and was a college professor and veterinary technician. Losing my brother was hard and really made me reevaluate my life. What did I want? Something new, but I didn’t quite know what. It would take a few years to see that art and jewelry design were my life line. I’ve always been very creative. I think it goes together with being mentally ill. We just see the world differently, can interpret it more uniquely. My son is nine now, and I’ve had my ups and downs, but I always wind up on top in the the end. I see my therapist weekly and our regular sessions have been tremendously helpful, especially the EMDR and AIT. I see my psychiatrist monthly and she manages my medications, which I take dutifully and with care, to make sure I don’t go back to a dark place or get too anxious or have another seizure. I see my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome doctor every three months for labs and injections to manage my overall body condition. But probably the most important thing I do for my mental health is getting monthly ketamine infusion therapy. Ketamine is a tranquilizer used during surgeries that can also be used for severe depression, chronic pain, and migraines; I have all three. Ketamine has changed my life, and for the better. I have been doing it for two years now and I won’t go back to before. It’s life changing; it’s life affirming. When you are getting an infusion it’s like your body and mind disconnect, you aren’t quite awake but you aren’t asleep either. I listen to music and have my fun “trips” as Dr Ball calls them. And when it’s done, there’s just a lightness in your mind and soul I simply can’t describe. It’s amazing. But I can’t forget about my friends and family. They are my life support and connection to reality, to this world. Without my friends I’d be lost. I lean on them for support and they do the same to me. We help each other. Me friends and family have helped bring me out of some very dark places. I love my friends and family. I always tell people two things are needed for treating mental illness: nature and nurture. For me, that means medications and ketamine and therapy and friends and family. Nature is the science side of it. You treat the nature by altering neurochemicals. Nurture is the structure of guidance given by therapy and coaching. If you just pop a pill your mood might improve some, but your overall mental health won’t improve and your problems won’t solve themselves. I have persisted all these years despite the challenges related to my mental health issues by eating well, seeing doctors regularly, seeing my therapist weekly, relying on friends and family, exercising, taking my medications, getting my ketamine infusions, and throwing myself into my art and jewelry design work. I will continue to overcome obstacles in the future by following this scheme. I have to. For myself, for my friends and family, for my son.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a jewelry designer and artist, on the macabre side of things. I make a lot of bone jewelry. My style is very minimize minimalist and I use authentic bone, genuine stone and crystal, real feather, and high quality metal in my work. I have two top sellers: raccoon penis bone necklaces and sterling silver rattlesnake vertebra threader earrings with various stone/crystal beads. My number one seller on Etsy is a pair of earrings featuring raccoon mandibles with a malachite bead on copper chain fishhooks. My newest big seller at markets is a tattoo choker with rattlesnake vertebrae. I clean many bones myself using water maceration. Find road kill and leave it in a sealed bucket with some enzymatic laundry detergent for a few months, then degrease with hydrogen peroxide. I not only make jewelry this way, but I’ve also made shadowboxes memorializing client’s beloved pets, even preserving snake skin. I also make altar decor/wall art with skulls and snake skin and semi precious stones, etc. But my jewelry doesn’t stop there. I make so much more! I make spooky threaders! Halloween themed earrings that dangle at any length you want! I create many designs of crystal and stone jewelry (even geodes!) both earrings and necklaces, with various high quality metals (mostly sterling silver). I work hard on sourcing fabric or printing fabric to make hand covered buttons to create earrings, bobby pins, bracelets, pins, and magnets. I crochet many things including cute little critters like mice, earrings, hats, scarves, etc. I make handmade beaded pens, some with charms, all with extra ink refills so you can use your pen again and again. I also have a whole kawaii line of jewelry and accessories and make many cute items like axolotl earrings, bobby pins with slices of cake, and lollipop necklaces. I make stamped dog tag earrings and necklaces as well with funny and lewd sayings. I also do a tarot card of the day Monday through Friday on Tiktok and on my Etsy shop I sell card readings that go in depth into any subject you want. For my art I do collage art, all made from primary sources. I have a horror series I’m creating right now, with a piece on the Crusades, werewolves from the Middle Ages, witches from the Middle Ages, and Jack the Ripper. They are all bespattered in blood! I sell online a bit, but mostly wholesale to various shops in New Orleans, Louisiana, and sell at markets and pop ups. I have a great series of markets coming up, called Nymphadora’s Mystic Market. It will be February 8th, March 8th, April 12th, and May 10th, 10 am to 4 pm. I hope you come see me! I also donate a lot of products to auctions for various animal rescues around the country. One of my ways of still helping animals, as I used to be a veterinary technician. Giving back to the community is so important. Caliphia is a brand sure to be around New Orleans for a long time to come! Don’t miss out!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three things that were most impactful for my art career in my journey were learning to never ever ever ever give up unless you absolutely have to, learning science and specifically anatomy from LSU Veterinary School, and coming to terms with my limitations. I learned a lot in school that never lead me to become a veterinarian but taught me a lot about bones, and taught me a lot about hard work and perseverance. My father taught me to never give up, and alright I had to withdraw from veterinary school, I never gave up on myself. Dreams change. That’s why it’s so important to come to terms with your limitations. My advice to folks early on in their journey is to give it your all, make plans to change everything, never give up unless you have to, and love yourself more then money.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I get overwhelmed I tend to shut down. So I have to try and stop that from happening, because you can’t function well, or run a business, when you shut down. I had to deal with this recently when went through liver failure. I went in and out of liver failure from August 2024 to January 2025. I got behind on custom orders, was late mailing out online orders, had to miss pop ups and markets, couldn’t wake up in the morning to get my son ready for school, couldn’t do his homework with him at night, couldn’t keep up the house chores, couldn’t keep up showering hardly! I mostly slept. It felt like being hung over all the time, and I had migraines frequently, which I used to get a lot, but all but stopped with the ketamine infusion therapy starting February 2022. I felt physically weak. I remember pulling my market wagon and carrying my table one night in November and for several moments I didn’t think I could go on or that I would make it. I did. But it was touch and go. I’m finally feeling a little better as the cause of the liver failure is gone, for good this time, we hope. Safe to say I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. I did what I could and didn’t what I couldn’t. Might have done some damage with some businesses and customers, but I’ll keep going, and show them I’m better now. I hope they show me grace and empathy. My advice when dealing with bumps in the road is to keep your chin up, ask for help, take care of yourself (doctors and therapists if needed), do self care (EMDR for anxiety), talk to a friend, eat well, rely on your friends and/or family for help, cuddle pets, try to take on less responsibilities/take on less in general, JUST GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!!! You’re worth it.

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Image Credits

Carrie Tracy Pizzalato

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