Ballingry mum Jamie is chasing dream job as an illustrator

Jamie Haddow, 36, suffers from Nystagmus, a condition that causes repetitive and involuntary eye movements, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of conditions that often cause flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin.

Despite this, she is determined to overcome the pain and obstacles her conditions cause in the name of her career.

She told the Times: "Children's books are where I've got my heart set.

"I want to be the next Axel Scheffler, he's the guy who illustrated the Gruffalo and done a lot of the Julia Donaldson books.

"I love the books and my wee boy loves them as well. I just really like his drawing style.

"I'd love to work with Julia Donaldson someday."

Ballingry mum Jamie Haddow wants to be an illustrator like Axel Scheffler. (Image: Public)

Jamie is suffering for her art as she explained: "Nystagmus affects the way my eyes focus on things.

"Oddly enough, I enjoy doing digital drawings, but I do find it quite difficult because staring at the computer so long, I get migraines and lose focus.

"So yeah, I do struggle a wee bit with that and then I've got something called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome so a lot of the art stuff, with the dexterity in my hands and a lot of nerve pain, drawing can sometimes be quite challenging."

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Despite the difficulties she faces, Jamie made the decision to follow her passion and went back to college to study, after she was given medical retirement in the hopes of one day becoming an illustrator.

She continued: "When you find something you love, whether it causes you difficulty or not, you never find it hard.

"My grandad was really into drawing; he was an amateur artist and he would go around taking pictures of the local area and painted. He taught us how to draw.

"I picked up a pencil and as soon as I could hold one, I was drawing."

And she's already on her way to achieving her goals, having recently had her illustrations published in the poetry book of a Dunfermline man, William T. Stevens.

She added: "Illustration, that's what I want to make a career out of, so I thought I'll take it on and it will give me a bit of experience.

"It was exhausting! I don't think either of us realised just how much work goes into getting a book published.

"There was a lot of back and forth between me and Bill in the beginning and then I drew up a few wee sketches for him.

"It was a lot of work, but it was worth it."

To follow Jamie on her journey or to commission her work, follow her on Instagram @thekiltedzebra.