Desire Lines Reflections

Jesse

Tell us a little about who you are and what brought you here.

I have just been diagnosed with Endometriosis after waiting over 2 decades. I do my best to see the magic of life and share my magic with children. Even though I live a life of pain, I don’t let it dampen my magic. Life includes pain, but having a chronic disease, it demands strength every single day.

What invisible or visible part of your story do you wish more people understood?

The strength of enduring pain is always a hidden thing. I wish people could understand that a lot of us are fighting invisible battles.

How did it feel to be photographed as part of Desire Lines?

I was able to reflect on 22 years of managing endometriosis pain. 22 years of painkillers, heat packs, doctor visits, physiotherapy, supplements, and silent suffering. Maz is an amazing person! She’s inspiring and encouraging and we can relate on pain, and that helps to feel seen.

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

After decades of living with endometriosis, I’ve realised how deeply the pain has become part of me. I didn’t even question it anymore — I just managed, adapted, endured. Having surgery finally made me feel seen. Like my pain was real and not just in my head. But even then, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being just another number in the system. Another name on a long list of people fighting this silent, misunderstood condition. Endometriosis doesn’t just affect your body — it reshapes how you see yourself, how you live, how you’re treated. And too often, the world still doesn’t fully see it.

This art is not for sale.

People’s pain and hardship cannot be commodified in this space. This space exists simply to inspire anyone who is struggling to cope or searching for a way through.

The art is a gift from myself and every participant. These images capture a moment in time that allowed us to realise that our pain has given us something priceless:

Wisdom and resilience.
They form the desire lines we walk as we move through each new storm we face, again and again.