J.G. Chayko

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The Old Lady in my Bones

When I was in my thirties, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I started this blog to share my experiences living with RA, and how I live my best life in the face of chronic disease.

Winter’s Light: RA and The Holidays

December 25, 2022

A snow covered bank looking out over the ocean. A man stands in the distance on the shore.

The winter solstice is a time of hibernation and restoration. After the solstice, the days start to get a little longer and the light returns. A New Year is here before we know it. It’s an opportunity for renewal, to begin again, to hope again…

Transitions: Embracing a New Season

October 30, 2022

This is the time of year to sweep the negative energy into the darkness, honor our ancestors and plant the seeds of transition into a new year. The fall is always a season of new beginnings for me, a time where the major changes materialize transforming my life, as the fall transforms the color of the leaves – and this year there’s a big transformation looming beyond the full harvest moon.

Falling into Autumn – The Colors of RA

September 11, 2022

The summer is almost at its end. The days are getting shorter, the sunsets deeper, the lush green leaves are tinged with orange and a hint of crimson blushing around…

The Art of Sending RA on Vacation

July 8, 2022

I dream of moving to a warmer climate, not just for RA, but because I love the sun and heat, and find the beauty of a desert terrain intoxicating. Living in a lush rainforest climate has its own splendid beauty, but there’s no doubt the changeable weather and weeks of rain takes a toll on me, mentally and physically. I had always planned to move to a drier place in the future, where I believed my RA would be less present – but would it?

Corkboards and Coffee Houses

Welcome to my coffee house. This blog is about my writing life - the challenges, the success, the creative process and pushing through the blocks. This is my catapult to inspiration, a space where I can strengthen my writing muscles and share some insights on my process. So get comfortable, grab a hot cuppa, and let's talk about writing.

Crime Wave 2: Women of a Certain Age – A Review

August 20, 2022

Front Cover - A woman detective in an overcoat with a magnifying glass on a purple background

One of the many things I love about writing is reading the work of my peers and occasionally being asked to review it. It is a pleasure to review Crime Wave: Women of a Certain Age, the second anthology from the Canada West Chapter of Sisters in Crime. This anthology is a delight to read. The stories are captivating, pulling the reader into each vivid world. We become involved with each character, whether they are plotting revenge, escaping death, or…

Writing is Hard: Celebrate the Small Victories

July 31, 2022

Celebrate that first draft of a novel. Celebrate finishing that short story. Celebrate that poem. Most of all, celebrate the time and the courage it took to sit down at the desk and do the work.

Event Magazine 51/1: The Curtain Rises

July 15, 2022

Event Magazine is produced from one of our local institutions, Douglas College. My poem, The Curtain Rises is about my great-grandmother and her life on the stage in the early 1900’s. I studied theatre at Douglas College after high school, so this poem in this magazine feels like the perfect match. You might even call it destiny.

Changing Your Point Of View

June 14, 2022

You don’t have to travel halfway around the world for a change of scene. Take your writing space to a local park, beach, or lake. Take time to absorb the space around you. The idea is to change your point of view by taking yourself out of a familiar space. Give yourself the time to just be in the moment and see what you can discover about yourself and your work.

My work

The Old Lady In My Bones
Corkboards And Coffeehouses
Publications
Seedlings

If You Like What You See

Some people have inquired if there’s a place to donate on my blog. This is for those who would like to offer extra support for my work and I thank you for this.

A bigger thank you to all my readers who offer ongoing support simply by stopping by for a visit. I enjoy writing and interacting with you.

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About me

J.G. Chayko is a writer, actress, and international arthritis advocate who’s been involved in theatre for more than 30 years and has published poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.