Today we’d like to introduce you to Dale Rockell
Hi Dale, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In September 2019 I ground physically and mentally to a halt due to Central Sensitivity Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I had been aware of the former since 2018 after discussion with a Neurologist who surmised that I was born with it, and despite doing my best to manage the symptoms that I had been experiencing for several years, I was forced to take leave from a demanding logistics management role and didn’t make it back.
In the five years since I have been working on regaining as much function as possible through following self management advice including exercise, diet, mindfulness, meditation and yoga to name a few, and evaluating what life needs to look and feel like within my new challenges.
Creativity, in the form of photography and music, has been a lifeline to give me something to focus on, (no pun intended), with the former being my main creative outlet. In 2023 I developed my blog into ‘Fibro & Photos’, sharing my creativity, my experience of living with Fibromyalgia, and to advocate for all living with this challenge. I receive very positive feedback through the Fibro community that they find my writing helpful as well as enjoying my images. I am now being asked to give talks, online and in person, about my creative journey to help cope with Fibromyalgia.
I have realised that ‘Fibro & Photos’ is now my brand, so I am giving what brain power I can to what that looks, feels and sounds like in 2025 and beyond, as I aim to get consistency in my message and promote my work as a photographer, writer, speaker and Fibromyalgia advocate more widely.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With Fibro life certainly isn’t a smooth road. There is a spectrum of severity for individuals who are diagnosed with it, from near normal function to those who are bedridden, I am somewhere in between. For me most days it is debilitating with chronic fatigue and complex chronic pain, affecting my vision, ability to think clearly, (brain fog), read, write, hold a conversation, my balance and more, however I find that after gentle morning yoga and meditation I can usually do something to distract me from it, whether it’s taking a walk with my camera or picking up my guitar. Accepting my condition and pacing myself is important in making any progress, as is ensuring I maintain the non-negotiables in my routine.
So what does this mean going forward? I need to be able to manage my time and effort carefully at my pace, knowing and accepting when I’m not able to do something, and how doing activities will pay me back with a flare of symptoms. Low pressure weather also makes a major impact on my function so I have to even plan around the weather forecast! I am working on doing what I can, when I can, while always acknowledging what I need to do to work with my limitations.
I also struggle immensely with using screens. In today’s world this is a major impairment, especially in building momentum online for my photographic print sales and writing, so it’s a case of building a Fibro comfy routine with little and often, planning ahead, and being firm with boundaries for requests of my time. As my Neurologist said to me recently, most people normally wait until retirement to follow their passion, you’re only 54 so you have a head start and already have five years input.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
All the negatives aside, I am grateful that I have had time to create my photographic ‘style’, which is usually desaturated or monochrome with deep contrast, shadows and enhanced light that I hope make the viewer want to explore them, and hopefully buy them as wall art or cards to gift to others. I now know the subjects that best suit my health challenges – landscapes, cityscapes and street/candid. Taking a walk most days with my camera I can come across unexpected and rare opportunities, like the extremely well received dancers in London (see image), where I was able to create a multiple exposure image to give a feeling of movement. Every photographer and creative will see things differently even at the same location, on the same day, and in final processing, so images will always be unique.
My next steps for building the ‘Fibro & Photos’ brand are to look at producing my first zine or photo book, ‘Fibro & Photos: A Photographic Journey For Coping With Fibromyalgia’, or title similar to this, and to start producing YouTube videos as an extension of my current output, photographically and as a Fibromyalgia advocate.
My approach to Fibromyalgia advocacy comes from honestly sharing personal experience and with a spiritual approach in how I think about my challenges, yet still want, and need to be creative. Bringing photography and advocacy together works well, I have a genuine backstory that many can relate to, and I am now being asked to contribute written articles and speak.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I always loved being outdoors, whether playing football (soccer), riding my bike, camping when I was in the Scouts, or just walking in nature, I was happy outdoors. That continues now, which is ironic that I ended up working in office based roles, but despite, and also because of my health challenges I have to be grateful that I can now be outdoors as much as I need. It feels a bit like a course correction for what my soul really needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fibroandphotos.wordpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalerockellphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dale.rockell
- LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dalerockell
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaleRockell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FibroandPhotos
- Other: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/mbr/238566325099499797
Image Credits
All Images Copyright Dale Rockell/Fibro & Photos