Meet Lily Graham

We were lucky to catch up with Lily Graham recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lily, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity is what keeps me going, especially with everything I deal with daily. Living with multiple chronic illnesses and disabilities, like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, hyperadrenergic POTS, MCAS, and many others, means I’m constantly adapting. Pain, fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms make it hard to function, but creativity is something I always find a way to hold onto.

My biggest inspirations are the people and animals I love. My husband, our partner Hannah, my service dog Bear, and all of the other cute lovely animals I’ve ever had in my life. Hannah has been a huge creative inspiration for me since I met them, how they are not afraid to be colorful, compassionate, loving, thoughtful, and so much more they truly have been such a light in our lives.

I keep my creativity alive by working with my body instead of against it. Some days, I can physically create, whether that’s painting or working on plushie designs. Other days, when my body isn’t cooperating, I use digital tools or focus on brainstorming ideas. I ran my own online small business/ art shop on my own for almost 4 years but sadly had to close them as I couldn’t handle doing it all myself. My new art business StarFluff Creations, which I run with my partner, is a huge part of this – it gives me a way to share my creativity while working within my limitations.

Beyond just art, creativity is in everything I do. It’s how I problem-solve to make life more accessible, from finding ways to manage symptoms to adjusting how I work or even structuring my meals. Chronic illness forces me to be adaptable, and in a way, that’s its own form of creativity. No matter how much my body struggles, creativity gives me something that’s mine, something that makes life feel meaningful.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. Art has always been a way for me to express myself, process emotions, and make sense of everything going on in my life. I’ve always been drawn to dreamy, whimsical themes, and that’s stayed a core part of my work. My art journey has been shaped by my health, and since traditional jobs and schooling were never really an option for me, art became something I could always turn to no matter how bad things got.

I first started my main art social media profiles as Inked.Bunnyx, at one of the hardest points in my life. I was really sick and couldn’t work, and my husband had just lost his seasonal job. We were struggling, and I didn’t know what else to do, so I just jumped in and started posting my paintings and art prints. It ended up taking off, and as time went on, I expanded into crocheting. I loved it, but unfortunately, the pain and symptoms it caused made it impossible to keep doing. Even though I had to completely give it up, I never stopped exploring new creative outlets.

I actually originally started my page as a tattoo apprentice which is why I went by Inked.Bunnyx, unfortunately as you could guess I could not continue tattooing other due to my health/symptoms and the risks. It was a bumpy start and I didn’t really take it very seriously yet, but I decided to keep the name and just start posting and creating whatever I could.

My style and interests have changed a lot over the years, but at the heart of it, I just love creating things that feel soft, magical, and comforting. Whether I’m painting, designing characters, or making soft sculptures, I want my art to be something that brings people a sense of warmth and nostalgia.

Because of my health, I’ve had to change how I create. Some days, I can paint for hours, but other days, I can barely hold a brush. I’ve learned to adapt- switching to digital tools, working in short bursts, or just brainstorming ideas for when I have more energy. It’s frustrating at times, but I’ve learned that honoring my limits and working with my body instead of against it makes my creativity stronger in the long run.

I also care a lot about making art more accessible. As a disabled artist, I know how hard it can be to navigate creative spaces when you have limitations, and I want to be part of making things more inclusive. That’s why I create in ways that work for me while also making sure others feel like they have a place in these spaces too.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding my projects and continuing to find new ways to bring my ideas to life. You should check out my new art business I’m building with my partner @Starfluffcreations ! We just had a successful campaign for my Stardrop Sprouts characters, that funded 8 characters to be turned into plushies, blankets, enamel pins, and stickers. I also have a moon and star claw clip I designed available for preorder (so many more cute claw clips samples on way). No matter how much things change, art will always be something I come back to.

Some fun facts about me: My favorite animal is Capybaras! I also love fashion, interior design, and photography 🙂 I love including fashion on my pages as well!

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?

Looking back, the three most important things that helped me in my journey are adaptability, patience, and self-trust.

Adaptability has been everything for me. My health is unpredictable, and I’ve had to constantly adjust how I create, work, and live. Learning to go with the flow instead of fighting against my limitations has helped me keep moving forward, even when things don’t go as planned. For anyone starting out, I’d say don’t be afraid to change things up when something isn’t working. The way you do things now doesn’t have to be the way you do them forever.

Patience has been hard but necessary. Growth takes time, whether it’s in art, business, or life in general. I used to feel like I had to have everything figured out right away, but I’ve learned that progress isn’t always obvious or fast. Things come together at their own pace. My advice would be to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to grow naturally without constantly comparing yourself to others.

Self-trust has probably been the biggest thing. There have been so many times I doubted myself, whether it was my abilities, my decisions, or whether I was even capable of making things work. The moment I started trusting that I knew what I was doing and that my path didn’t have to look like anyone else’s, things got so much easier. If I could give any advice, it would be to listen to yourself and trust that you know what’s best for you, even when it feels like you don’t.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I’m facing right now is finances. Being disabled comes with so many extra expenses, like medical costs, mobility aids, treatments, and just the overall cost of living while not being able to work a traditional job. It’s frustrating because no matter how hard I try to manage things, it feels like I’m always behind, always trying to play catch-up. My husband has entirely taken care of me the past few years as my health has declined but when possible he works long hours just to help keep us afloat, and even then, it’s barely enough.

I do what I can through my art and creative work, but it’s hard when my health is so unpredictable. Some days I can be productive and get a lot done, and other days I can barely function. It’s an exhausting cycle of trying to create, market, and sell while also dealing with constant medical setbacks.

Right now I’m focusing on making my business as sustainable as possible, finding ways to work within my limits while still bringing in at least bare minimum income to survive. I’m also looking into resources and support that might help ease the financial strain, but it’s hard when so much of the system isn’t built for people like me. The reality is that being disabled is expensive, and the world doesn’t really accommodate that. I just keep pushing forward, doing what I can, and hoping that with time things will get a little easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/inkedbunny
• Instagram: @Inked.Bunnyx and @Starfluffcreations
• Youtube: Inked.Bunnyx

Image Credits

A lot of the photos taken by my husband (not adding his name please 🙂