August 1, 2023
Happy August all!
I hope you have been eating plenty of strawberries and enjoying the summer where-ever you are in the world! I have surely been getting through a lot of strawberries myself and of course soaking in the sun as much as I can. Don't worry, I made sure I had suncream on! Always remember to put suncream on before you leave the house, as this will save your life - from my own experience.
Let's start this blog journey off with a little bit of charity work I do every year. Saying that, it is my second year taking part for a charity cause and I hope to continue for many more years to come.
Last year, I got asked by the Epilepsy Action Charity to take part in their yearly National Doodle Day auction by submitting two original one of a kind drawing/paintings. I jumped at the chance and said yes to raising awareness and doing something just to raise a little bit more funds for the charity. Not only does this auction include illustrators like me, but there are authors and celebrities who pick up their pens, pencils and paints to create something unique!
I may not know anyone with this condition, but having said that, it is a very common disease that affects over 50 million people worldwide.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8be4f2_2bbe87d3baeb434b9a0460237cf944c9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_736,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/8be4f2_2bbe87d3baeb434b9a0460237cf944c9~mv2.jpg)
Original paintings (2022) by Farah Shah
WHAT IS EPILEPSY?
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain, causing repeated seizures. It can affect anyone from all backgrounds and all ages. Seizures come in a whole wide range of different types - where people can have a one-off episode, or seizures that last for a limited time. But most of the time, unfortunately Epilepsy is a life-long condition.
TREATMENT
Seizures can be controlled by different treatment options such as medicine, surgery, therapy and even diets. But most of the time, people don't have access to these treatments and this is where the charity steps in. By raising funds through "National Doodle Day" auction, you are helping someone who has this awful disease.
If you want to find out more about Epilepsy or how you can make a difference, then take a further look at the Epilepsy Action website HERE.
It is not too late to create a drawing and get involved this year.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8be4f2_d456ca0ecc2f4d59978aa41f2dd958ea~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_878,h_690,al_c,q_85,enc_auto/8be4f2_d456ca0ecc2f4d59978aa41f2dd958ea~mv2.jpg)
Original paintings (2023) by Farah Shah
Above are my two original one of a kind paintings I have created for this years auction. The inspiration for these two illustrations are based on my current obsessions for the past couple of months - Strawberries and Frogs! The auction starts on September 15th 2023 for three days, but I will remind you throughout the whole of August via my social sites and in Septembers Newsletter! :)
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Thank you so much for reading and being here for my first ever blog post! It means a lot to me!
Wishing you a lovely August and I hope it is full of Sun and joy before the air slowly shifts into early autumn...
Speak soon!
Farah x