When I was in grade school and high school, I had an art teacher who emphasized the importance of learning the fundamentals of art while also developing your own style and artistic process. Robin didn’t necessarily spark a lot of creative desire in me, but she taught me many invaluable lessons that have allowed me to become a successful artist. She showed me that lying on my side while I paint was actually not an obstacle. It’s MY perspective. She was right there beside me as I developed my unique art techni[...]
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I love live music more than almost anything else in the world. Although it’s a lot about the music, it’s not JUST about the music for me. It’s the interaction you have with the performer no matter where your seats are. It’s being brought together with fourteen thousand of your closest friends by a few lyrics and a melody. It’s being immersed in a sea of thousands of lighters (or phones) during a slow song. For me, it’s my high. It’s my church. It’s about being there when the performers fulfill[...]
Growing up with two parents who were veterinarians, I shared my home with a variety of animals. From the day I was born, I was taught to treat our pets, whether it was our Maltese named Teddy, our cockatiel named Charlie, or our tarantula named Celeste, with compassion and respect. I quickly realized that, like people, every animal (wild or domesticated) has their own personality, and that’s what I try to represent in my watercolor paintings. Teddy was smart and full of spunk, Charlie was mischievous and got into all k[...]
As some of you know, I’m a huge Ellen Degeneres fan. Not only are we both from the same city, but we are both avid animal lovers. It is literally one of my ultimate life goals to meet her one day and work with her on a project or two. Ellen has the reputation as being one of the kindest celebrities out there, and she does a ton of work with animal rescue all over the nation. Like mine, all of her pets are rescues, and you can tell from her social media posts that they are as much her family as her two-footed family (which[...]
One of the most common therapies for people with Osteogenesis Imperfecta is rodding, or surgical procedures where metal rods are inserted inside the long bones for strength. One of the major issues people with OI have is that their long bones (arms and legs) develop abnormally and are often bowed. When they don’t grow straight, they are weaker and usually break over and over again where they are bent. I can’t tell you the number of times I broke my forearm before I got my rods. There was a point in my life where one arm[...]
As many of you know, one of the ways I share my art and jewelry is through intimate at-home parties. KAK ART Parties were born in my grandparents’ house in New Iberia about ten years ago with a group of their closest friends. My first party in New Iberia was so well received that it became an annual occurrence. Once it grew to over 80 guests, I moved it out of my grandparents’ home and into a local gallery so that the public would be able to attend as well. When my New Iberia event was received so well year after yea[...]
Most people with Osteogenesis Imperfecta take part in some type of regular physical therapy and/or exercise program. You may think that because we break bones easily we would not be able to do that, but in reality, PT helps our bodies keep moving. Certainly we have to be careful, but anything we can do to allow our bodies to move in a more normal way, like swimming or walking in the water, is ultimately beneficial for our breakage rates, breathing, and overall pain levels. Aside from swimming, the absolute best therapy we[...]
I’ve seen variations on this question come up on several disability-related Facebook groups recently, and I find everyone’s responses interesting. Although it seems like a simple question at first glance, it’s actually fairly complicated once fully analyzed. I think it’s safe to say that most disabled people’s gut reaction when asked this is something along the lines of “No, of course not. I am NOT my disability, and there is so much more to me than my condition. That’s like saying you define yourself as a[...]
"Be courageous and be brave, and in my heart, you'll always remain forever young." -Sir Rod Stewart As many of you who follow my blogs and Facebook posts have seen, my friend, Christy, and I have had some pretty amazing experiences at concerts all over the country. We've had a private meet and greet with Reba, a conversation with Harry Connick Jr., and been front row for Fleetwood Mac. We've played blackjack with the Cadillac Three, and Florida Georgia Line has stopped an entire concert to give me a signed guitar from t[...]
The writing had been on the wall for a while that I would need a new van sooner rather than later. The trusty Toyota Sienna that I inherited from my dad when he passed away six years ago had a multitude developing minor issues. The sun roof leaked, so when it rained, water collected in the ceiling of the car and rained down onto the passengers every time we turned left for days to come. The heater only worked on the passenger side. The tire gauge hadn't worked in years (Dad killed that one). The radio only picked up a handfu[...]