Being an Artist with a Disability is not a subject that I share often, if ever. I have lived with disability since I was a young child, so it is as normal to me as the sky is blue. It is not a badge I wear as though I am wounded, but just a simple part that has lended it's hand in the creation of me. Being an amputee, I have looked for the positive things it has brought to my life. It has made me a compassionate person, a person who always looks for the light in others because I know that outward appearances sometimes mask the Divine that resides in each of us.
As I have grown older, other physical impairments resulting in much pain have become prevelant, forcing me to face my limitations and accept them. They have forced me to go deeper into myself to find ways to create beauty in life. I have learned to cherish the moments when pain does not control me, and to seize those moments, creating pieces of me that will leave my mark in this world. And when those moments happen, life is supreme.
Crow Mother - Art Doll by Jeanne Fry |
I sculpt, with these hands that challenge me, to bring to life the things that reside in my heart.
The sharing of my story is not meant to be sad, but to be a reminder to appreciate each moment, to grasp it to its fullest, and to not allow our challenges to change who we are deep in our hearts.
Namaste ~ The Spirit in Me honors the Spirit in You