Illuminating the Shadows of RA

The turning of the year has launched us into the darkest season. The clocks have turned back, and fall has embraced the west coast with misty mornings and auburn leaves. The days are short, the nights long, the air scented with the burning wood of home fires, apple pies and fresh rain. It is a…

Read More...

A Little Bit of Fun – All Hallows Eve

“I am reminded that there is still a brightness to be found in the turning of the year – intermittent moments when the darkness is pierced by the sun burning through the afternoon clouds. Its golden imprint streams through the beaded condensation of my windows, warming my body, lulling the ghost of RA into a…

Read More...

Arthritis Awareness: All About Living

The summer is burning out in deep crimson streaks of early twilight. The leaves are starting to turn, and last night the skies unleashed a torrent of rain, finally breaking the cloying humidity. Fall is delicately balancing on the horizon as we shift into September and Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis Awareness Month comes around every…

Read More...

Working it Out: Summer Days and RA

It was a long time coming – the sublime transition from cool spring days to sultry summer twilights’ was a stormy one, and not just for the weather but also for my joints. The air in recent weeks has been heavy and like a tropical rain forest – fantastic for keeping the yearly forest fires…

Read More...

The Burning Twilight (Summer Flares)

The new normal for our summers are forest fires. I call them Mother Nature’s Flares, because they are both unpredictable and uncontrollable. All it takes is a random lightening strike on a humid summer night or the careless flick of a cigarette out the window. Fire season has started early this year with a dry…

Read More...

The ARThritis Soiree: Arthritis Takes the Stage

A server hands me a glass of champagne and my partner and I peruse the silent auction items, the striking artwork made by and representing those living with arthritis, and the stage that will host this year’s entertainment and where the live auction will take place. The women are dressed in their evening gowns and…

Read More...

Buttons, Zippers, RA and a Cocktail Dress

The annual ARThritis Soiree was only a couple weeks away and I needed a new dress for the occasion. The ARThritis Soiree is an elegant inspirational evening hosted by Arthritis Research Canada that combines different forms of art in conjunction with supporting arthritis research and raising awareness of the many types of inflammatory arthritis thousands…

Read More...

Springing to Life

Spring has finally arrived on the west coast – cherry blossoms line the streets with their pink canopies, bright green shoots are pushing their way through the rich soil, it’s an awakening for the earth and my body. The damp chill winter was an orbiting repetition of flares and fatigue, and it was only when…

Read More...

RA Matters: At Work and in Life

The last several months of 2018 were quite eventful for me. I traveled, worked, prepared auditions for upcoming shows, and spent three months on an application for an exclusive Writer’s Studio Program at a local university. In November I received amazing news: I got cast into a new show, and I got accepted to the…

Read More...

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.

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.