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[...]
Category
Growing Up with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
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[...]
It’s no secret that I get stared at A LOT in public, not because of my stunning beauty, but because of my short stature and 400 lb wheelchair. Most of the time it’s by kids, which doesn’t really bother me because they obviously haven’t been taught how to be around someone who is physically different. Adults…. that’s when I get frustrated. I love to stare right back at them and make them just as uncomfortable as they make me... and trust me, I’ve gotten some pretty funny reactions! My favorite is w[...]
In a way, art kind of won by default in my life. It was pretty clear that I was not going to be able to live out my life-long dream of becoming a killer whale trainer (I really loved Free Willy as a kid), so I went to plan B - art. I took a liking for art of any kind at just five years old when my mother bought me my first watercolor set. Although it started off as a hobby, it quickly turned into a way for me to earn a living. When I was a kid, art was something I could ACTUALLY do. While my friends were[...]
For those of you that have been following my blog for a while, you might remember one I posted a couple years ago about how involved it is for me to get a new wheelchair. My chair has a lot of custom pieces to it, and it is very, very expensive (more than most cars, in fact). There are only a few companies to choose from when buying an electric wheelchair, and the one I prefer is based in Sweden. Permobil’s wheelchairs are not only state-of-the-art, but they are extremely stable and about as well-made as you can find. Alth[...]
Some of the best advice I’ve ever received is “You gotta use what you got, kid.” When you have a disability and your job requires you to effectively market yourself, it’s tricky to find the balance of just how much it should play a role in your marketing strategy. While it’s true that I have physical challenges that cause me a decent amount of physical pain and affect every aspect of my life, these challenges are not necessarily the first thing for which I want to be remembered. I have to deal with more phy[...]
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[...]
Any of you Facebookers know that there is a Facebook group for everything, and Osteogensis Imperfecta is no different. There are several out there, some for the different types, some with a focus on fitness, some with age restrictions, etc. I belong to several, and sometimes it's nice to talk to people who go through the same social and chronic pain issues that I do. There are moments where I disagree with the way some members manage their pain, but to each is own and how they handle their bodies is really none of my busines[...]
When people find out I use a wheelchair for mobility, the conversation following usually starts either one of two ways: Person #1: Oh, I'm so sorry you are confined to a wheelchair. It must be so hard not being able to walk. I can't even imagine. You poor thing." OR Person #2: "You are so lucky that you don't have to walk! Where can I get one of those?!" Spoiler alert: both people annoy me. To Person #1: You're right. There are days where it does get very frustrating to be confined to a 400 pound pi[...]