I am a artist with neurocognitive effects from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). My challenges — primarily significant intermittent cognitive difficulties with comprehension, recall, and working memory — have prevented me from creating in the artistic mediums I have used for most of my life. I am now on a journey of healing, self-discovery, and re-discovering my artistic voice.
Like many people at potentially higher risk of Covid, I've spent the past year in near total isolation. The isolation, extensive medical tests, ongoing uncertainty regarding my diagnosis and prognosis, and major cognitive problems preventing me from making my art led me into a deep depression. At exactly the time I needed it most, a friend sent me an invite to the new Clubhouse app where I discovered an incredible community of artists that lifted my spirits, made me feel supported, and encouraged me to change my way of thinking about my cognitive situation. They encouraged me to stop looking at my condition as something that prevents me from making art and to instead focus on finding a new artistic voice that is informed by my experience rather than inhibited by it.
I took their encouragement to heart and soon after began to invite the public to join my creative process as a collective creative brain that supports me in creating amazing and incredibly imaginative art. I facilitate the project by bringing together collaborators who simultaneously draw on a virtual shared canvas. So far, nearly 100 people have joined in and the art we've created is amazing.
You can follow along as new illustrations are made and contact me to join in on a drawing via the Instagram link below.
More info: Instagram
