Being Original While Living With Psoriasis

What does originality even mean? It means not a copy or an imitation. It means honoring who you are from the beginning. I recently heard a song called "I'm Going To Be Original" by Lia. The song made light bulb after light bulb go off when thinking about what originality looks like while living with psoriasis.

With psoriasis, we're always thinking about our skin and what other people think about it to. We try to hide it and heal it because the outside world tells us it's different and ugly. Self-acceptance and owning our plaques and all that come with it is not an easy concept to grasp.

We all hold the key to owning our originality.

After all, we were all born unique and original. There is not another person on this whole planet that looks, acts, talks or walk like you do. Even other people who live with psoriasis are not the same. We each have an authentic story and experience to tell.

Society tells us to fit in. The pressures of having perfect skin like everyone else causes internalized shame and depressive thoughts. Our skin solicits stares, unwanted advice and the idea that were ugly and wrong. Living and managing a chronic condition like psoriasis is hard enough without the societal pressures.

What being original with psoriasis truly means...

This Lia song really got my thought wheels turning. There is a line in the song that says, “I’m going to be original even if it is difficult.” I mean, come on. Life with psoriasis is difficult, those outside pressures are difficult. But what if we owned our life and its originality anyway?

Psoriasis is one part of our lives that makes us original. The autoimmune response sure makes us unique and no plaque ever looks the same. We also have our own distinctive traits that makes up wholly who we are. Who we are and no one else. Yes, psoriasis is difficult but our life doesn't have to be.

Finding comfort, support and inspiration in song.

If we started living our life with the concept of owning and honoring our originality, it would be freeing. Psoriasis and society already control so much of our thoughts. It doesn't have to be that way. I didn’t feel original for a long time. Honestly at times I still don’t. It's an ongoing balance but it's my balance to bear.

Music has always been my go-to when I feel down. It always helps to lift me back up. There are more great lines in that song that I could relate to as well. I plan to apply lines from that song to my daily life. Listen to the song for yourself. It might just encourage you. “I’m going to be original even if it is difficult.”