About the Cover Artist: Fading by Jennifer Zelinske

Jen Zelinske is an artist based in Woodstock, Illinois, a city in the Chicago metropolitan area. Jen started experiencing seizures in 2012 after sustaining a head injury the year prior. What began as atonic seizures, originally misidentified as syncope, soon developed into tonic-clonic seizures, absence seizures, and an occasional complex partial seizure. It took approximately 1 year for Jen to receive a diagnosis, and in the early stages of her condition, she would experience up to 50 seizures per day. 

Seizures drastically impacted Jen’s life as well as the life of her daughter for whom Jen was a single mother. Jen could no longer commute to her job as a sales representative, lost her townhome, and was unable to continue running—a lifelong passion and therapeutic outlet. Not surprisingly, Jen became severely depressed. Encouraged by her daughter, Jen began taking art classes. She has been painting for about 2 years and has fallen in love with the craft. Painting brings Jen joy and allows her to raise awareness about epilepsy.

Jen’s paintings mix the real with the surreal. Seizures sometimes cause Jen to experience visual disturbances—sparkles and flashes that she describes as almost psychedelic—and she incorporates this experience into her work through dramatic shimmers of light and color. Jen is also a lover of the outdoors, and she enjoys incorporating scenes of nature into her paintings. In Fading, Jen sits on the grass with her service dog, Betsy Ross, who she began training as a puppy. The darkness of a seizure begins to encroach on a fantastical, technicolored sunrise, as Betsy Ross uses her paw to apply supportive pressure to Jen’s leg. 

Jen believes that every challenge in life offers an opportunity to grow. “We may lose some people along the way, people we thought would always be there, and it hurts in the moment, but that is OK.” About her experience, Jen said, “We find our true support network…people who are truly a gift, who encourage us every step along the way. I’m so grateful for my amazing family, friends, and neighbors. I paint to show them my appreciation.” 

Jen’s paintings can be viewed on her Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565118161301) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jenzelinskecreations) pages. Her work is also featured in the 2025 collection of the Hidden Truths Project (https://hiddentruthsproject.com/artists), an organization that works to raise awareness about epilepsy disability through art.