Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

Episode: She Turned Her Glucose Data Into Art. Could it Change How People See Diabetes?

Host: Stacey Simms
Guest: Krista Shenneman
Release Date: December 23, 2025

Overview

In this unique episode, host Stacey Simms sits down with artist and type 2 diabetic Krista Shenneman, whose groundbreaking project turns real-time glucose data into tangible works of art. The discussion explores Krista's personal journey with diabetes, her desire to change how people perceive diabetes data, and the emotional, social, and scientific impact of viewing medical data as art. Krista shares the inspiration behind her project, her record-breaking 28-day walk from Cincinnati to Memphis, and her experiences navigating both type 1 and type 2 diabetes spaces.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Turning Glucose Data Into Artwork

[03:10–07:46]

• Krista’s Background:

  • Artist and person living with type 2 diabetes, invested in expressing the internal/external experience of diabetes through art.
  • Invited to the DData conference where she pioneered the idea of transforming real-time glucose data into vinyl stickers for participants.

• Project Description:

  • Krista used a Cricut (vinyl cutter) on-site to turn attendees' 24-hour glucose graphs into landscape-like stickers, making medical data into art you can touch, display, and connect with.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “I wanted it to live in the world without those medical connotations so that I could be proud of the thing my body did.” – Krista [07:43]

• Audience Reaction:

  • Overwhelmingly positive—expected just a handful of participants, but printed 50–60 stickers in under an hour.
  • Many attendees had a strong emotional response to seeing their data in a new, affirming way.
  • Notable Moment:
    • “We have never moved so fast in our lives for this event... people just rush to you and they're like, we didn't even know we needed this and it was just life changing.” – Krista [04:21]

2. Reclaiming Pride and Challenging Stigma

[07:46–10:00]

• Transforming the Narrative:

  • Krista wrestles with societal shame surrounding type 2 diabetes, especially being a younger diagnosis.
  • Emphasizes frustration with frequent outsider comments (“you did this to yourself,” “if you just took cinnamon,” etc.).
  • Her art helps her (and others) reclaim pride in their bodies despite chronic illness.

• Changing Self-Perception:

  • Notable Quote:
    • “I want to be proud of the life that I live, and this is the body that I get, and I want to be proud of it. It is doing weird things. And that's okay.” – Krista [09:17–09:36]

3. The Epic Walk: Cincinnati to Memphis

[10:00–18:18]

• Walk Description:

  • In 2022, Krista walked ~500 miles over 28 days from Cincinnati (OH) to Memphis (TN), averaging 35 miles/day.
  • The journey was about connecting her sense of "home," her diabetes diagnosis, and her evolving identity.
  • Origin: Joke with her dad (“I’m just gonna walk home”) turns into a real, grant-funded project.
  • Became a “certified pedestrian” after taking a highway safety course to satisfy grant concerns.

• Physical and Medical Challenges:

  • Doctors expressed skepticism (“I really don't think that you're going to be able to walk that long and still maintain a healthy glucose level...” [13:23]), but Krista trained, adapted diet, and used Dexcom CGM for safety.
  • Experienced significant swings in blood sugar management during the walk, from persistent lows at the start to stable mid-walk, then unexpected highs toward the end.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “At the beginning of the walk I always tell people I could not eat enough... In the middle my body was like, we can do whatever we want... And at the end my body got used to it and it was like, you cannot eat anything.” – Krista [14:36]

• Motivation and Reflection:

  • Sparked by a family conversation at Thanksgiving about visiting home more.
  • Family tradition of long-distance walking.

4. Integrating Medical Data, Art, and Advocacy

[18:18–22:31]

• Expanding the Art Project:

  • Krista continues to create stickers and art installations from glucose data at public libraries, diabetes institutes, and conferences.
  • Partners with medical organizations (e.g., Caswell Diabetes Institute) to demonstrate the human aspect behind data.

• Bridging Science and Humanity:

  • Observes that healthcare providers and researchers often struggle to see the human element in numeric data sets.
  • Her art serves as a “translator”—transforming dry, inaccessible data into something engaging and meaningful.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “There are people to the data that they are talking about. People who not only can understand the things that they're saying... but are able to take their very scientific presentations... and make it kind of digestible and easy for others to understand.” – Krista [19:46]

• Impact on Visual Learners and Community:

  • Different art forms help different people make sense of diabetes. For those intimidated by scientific jargon, art creates accessibility and emotional context.

5. Navigating Type 1 and Type 2 Communities

[22:31–24:39]

• Inclusion and Bias:
  • Krista discusses often being the only person with type 2 diabetes in communities or conferences largely focused on type 1.
  • Candid about the need for empathy across diabetes types, both experiencing interrupted lives in different but valid ways.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Both lives are interrupted just at different paces and different times, and everyone's making different decisions... I want to be part of these spaces... so I have to be the person that looks past the two different ones.” – Krista [23:30]

6. Looking Ahead: Expanding the Art

[24:39–25:48]

• Future Projects:
  • Plans for a large-scale 365-day wall installation exhibiting daily glucose "landscapes,” moving from the original prototype toward a permanent, immersive art piece.
  • Prototype has already been displayed in multiple locations; the envisioned work will be 10x15 feet.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We didn't even know we needed this and it was just life changing, like altering.” – Krista [04:21]
• “I wanted it to live in the world without those medical connotations so that I could be proud of the thing my body did.” – Krista [07:43]
• “If you just took cinnamon...” – Krista, recounting common assumptions about type 2 diabetes [08:48]
• “I want to be proud of the life that I live, and this is the body that I get, and I want to be proud of it.” – Krista [09:17–09:36]
• “At the beginning of the walk I always tell people I could not eat enough... And at the end my body got used to it and it was like, you cannot eat anything.” – Krista [14:36]
• “I feel like I come off like kind of disarming... and then they continue to talk about their medical things. And I’m most interested in showing them that there are people to the data.” – Krista [19:34]
• “Both lives are interrupted just at different paces and different times.” – Krista [23:19]

Key Timestamps

• Intro & Krista’s Project at DData: [02:54–05:26]
• Visualizing Glucose Data as Art: [06:18–07:46]
• Stigma and Pride in Type 2 Diabetes: [07:46–10:00]
• Cincinnati to Memphis Walk: [10:00–18:18]
• Presentations, Conferences & Bridging the Medical Gap: [18:18–22:31]
• Type 1/Type 2 Communities & Bias: [22:31–24:39]
• Future Art Installations: [24:39–25:48]

Closing Thoughts

Krista Shenneman’s work is redefining how people with diabetes—and the broader community—view and relate to data that so often feels clinical, judgmental, or even isolating. By making real-time glucose data into art, she's helping herself and others reclaim a sense of pride, connection, and understanding. The conversation ends with anticipation for Krista's large-scale art installations and a call for greater representation and empathy within both type 1 and type 2 communities.