Built for Possibility

Artist/Creator: Ryan K.
Date: 02/18/2026
Medium/Materials: papier-mâché mask, screws and nails, sandpaper, rope, and paint.

Description: This mask represents the anger I often show in public. I don’t like to go out when I am in pain, but the fact is, I am always in pain, and I do have to go outside the house. When I am outside my house, I am not a nice man. I am resentful of the pain that hampers my ability to enjoy life outside a bed. The thought that I am hiding any pain is a joke. While I might not show pain, the anger that I show is still from my pain.

Artist/Creator: Ryan K.
Date: 03/04/2026
Medium/Materials: papier-mâché mask, wood dowels, paint cap, tulle, styrofoam ball, and paint

Description: I often talk about one of the hardest things for me to deal with is the loneliness that comes with this illness. This loneliness can make it feel like I am living in a prison, often in solitary confinement. Every time I  move or try to do something, there is either intense pain or full-body exhaustion. As a very creative person, I find my ability to imagine things has taken a dark turn. My mind’s eye has been focused on reliving a lot of my guilt, regrets, and shame from my past.

Artist/Creator: Ryan K.
Date: 03/18/2026
Medium/Materials: papier mache mask, hot glue gun, and paint

Description: All the symptoms and side effects that ME/CFS has are an exhausting list. First of all, you need doctors to actually believe how much pain you are in and the fatigue that comes from the smallest exertion.

Then come all the mental health challenges that are added to the physical ones. The physical rollercoaster of good days and bad days challenges how you think about reality when your body is unable to provide accurate feedback. You become afraid that you are going to hurt yourself worse. In fact, the usual path to recovery is graded exercise therapy. You start with very small exercises and gradually build up your abilities. But for people with ME/CFS, this is the worst for us as it slowly decreases our limits instead of increasing our abilities.

And you feel broken.

rtist/Creator: Ryan Kirkness
Date: 04/01/2026
Medium/Materials: papier mache mask, candle and paint

Description: It has been well over a decade since I have been able to work. Unable to work full-time, part-time or even casual work. When I first stopped working full-time, I thought I could still work part-time hours over a seven-day workweek with my own marketing company. But even that was too difficult for me. While I hoped I would still be able to work in some form or another. Still to this day, when I would have a good day, there are flickers of moments where you think, “Maybe I am getting better?” Of course, those are just fleeting moments that screw with your mind. After this happens for months and years, I no longer have a spark.

Without a spark, you slowly start to lose your passion for anything. Your depression starts getting worse, and the cycle of despair is almost always on your mind. Soon, you will no longer be looking for your joy or even a little bit of happiness.

Artist/Creator: Ryan Kirkness
Date: 04/15/2026
Medium/Materials: papier mache mask and paint

Description: For as much as I think I am hiding my pain or fatigue, there are symptoms and signs written on my face. When having chest pains that feel like a heart attack, you can not control your facial muscles when it happens. My post-exertional malaise makes me sweat like I’m sunbathing on a beach for hours. But one of the most obvious and most frustrating symptoms is the cognitive function. I stumble around for common words to describe things. My brow furrows as I look for the word that I know, but I can no longer find it.

Artist/Creator: Ryan Kirkness
Date: 04/29/2026
Medium/Materials: papier-mache mask, styroform balls, dowels, cardboard, paint

Description: When people get to know me and are able to look past the pain, they will find I am a loving, caring person. I have a lot of lived experiences and always have an interesting story to tell. I like to laugh and tell jokes, but I can not remember as many as I used to. I have found that my marketing knowledge is very similar to many therapies that are used for pain and/or chronic illness.

It took me years to start to understand what was happening to me. It took a couple more years to get my doctor to agree with me. And if your major symptom, pain, is something that doctors often see as subjective and never as bad as the patient believes.

I don’t want others to spend years trying to understand what they are going through. I want to help others who are suffering unnecessarily, and the general public to better understand how debilitating ME/CFS is!

FOUNDER

With a vision for building something meaningful, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience.
They set the tone for everything we do.

SALES MANAGER

Focused, approachable, and driven by results, our sales manager is all about building strong relationships. They help connect people to the right solutions—with clarity and care.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Creative and strategic in equal measure, our marketing director brings fresh ideas to every campaign. They turn insights into action and help our message resonate with the right audience.

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

Friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, our customer service manager ensures every interaction is a positive one. They keep communication clear, timely, and human.