Welcome to jurrk-studio.com

Let's talk about the name...
I was I driving home around 3 in the afternoon when a drunk driver hit my car in November of 2021. The accident resulted in a concussion and neck injury that triggered Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).  Seizures, emotional disregulation, cognitive impairment and sensory overload bacame all consuming.  I had to sell my home, leave the life I built to move home to my parents, couldn't do art or anything that was previously easy. I don't drive anymore and I am considered fully disabled.  Basically every part of my life was completely, forever changed.  

Pre accident I was an artist and interior designer.  I built award winning homes and led a fullfilling life with many friends, hobbies and future plans to travel with the hope of starting a family.  I was having up to 100 seizures every day, constantly felt terrible, unable to sense the world in the same way,  couldn't feel hot or cold, sleep and rest were impossible.  For a year and a half I was in a torturous state, regularly falling including falling down 15 step onto my head, unable to communicate effectively, emotional instability, constant anxiety and fear, loss of fine motor skills and PTSD symptoms.

Boredom and lack of purpose breeds negativity and I really didn't want my life to be over.  My aunt was a potter and I always loved working with clay... maybe I could make weird ceramics.  As I use humour to deal with difficult situations, and because I jerk aggressively, painfully, I came up with the word Jurrk.  It seemed like a funny way to address that my products would be less than perfect...So the Jurrk Studio concept was born!

For a bit more backstory, I bacame a Christian in 2004 but fell away from church as I couldn't understand why God wouldn't help me with my severe long term depression and anxiety or any of the other prayers I had.  I was attending a church/reading books that focused on prosperity and that if God wasn't answering my prayers it was because I was sinning. The book of Job really challenged me as I couldn't understand why God would allow the enemy to do that to him.  I convinced myself that God didn't answer prayers, that his blessings and help were based on my strength to turn away from all sin.  I am an Olympic level self hating machine!  I knew I was saved but couldn't tolerate the condemnation I felt.  I decided to just live an honourable life free from the judgment I heaped on myself.  

About a year and a half into my new life, I was extremely suicidal.  I couldn't see a way to proceed as there was no treatment options that helped and I hadn't been diagnosed with FND yet.  I would have done anything to feel even a little bit better, stand on my head for 12 hours a day, meds, anything! I hadn't slept for 3 days and my thoughts were so chaotic that I was watching myself go insane.  I cried out to God begging him to take this away or to take me. I begged and bargained that if God helped me, I would never be afraid to share the gospel or deny anything God asked me to do.  Desperation forced me to be willing to fully surrender.  

That's when God started to step in...I found a wonderful pastor and a great church full of kind "old ladies" who welcomed and loved me.  I saw a chiropractor, who asked for an x-ray and we determined my C2 and C3 (top of spine) were compressed and out of alignment.  Adjustments brought me instant relief but because my neck had been out for so long, my muscles would painfully force the alignment to fall back out of place.  But slowly, with seeing the Chiropractor twice a week, it started to get better.  I found a new doctor who prescribed some medication that also helped a lot.  A specialized dentist was able to create a dental appliance that I wear all the time that has changed my jaw shape to aleiviate pressure on the vagus nerve. Because of the fall down the stairs, I bought a house in a small town and I was gifted a kiln.  Life started to look possible.  I've been messing around with the clay and have arrived with the idea of making crosses and such to give out to anyone who needs to be uplifted.

Thanks for checking out my page!