• Blind New World (http://blindnewworld.org) is a website supported and sponsored by Perkins School for the Blind, who create the well-known variation of Braillers.
• "Helen Keller challenged and dramatically changed society’s perceptions of individuals with disabilities while at Perkins School for the Blind."
• Founded in 1829, Perkins is the leading global enterprise dedicated to advancing the lives of the young blind population through education, accessibility and innovation.
• Blind New World connected with me through Instagram and Twitter, inviting me to write a blog post about my painting practice as a blind person and how I use instagram to connect with an audience.
• I accepted the offer to write, share my story and potentially connect with other blind people and professionals.
Here is the blog post I wrote:
Blog Post:
"It is often said that "a picture is worth a thousand words," but what is art worth to a blind painter?
I'm Kimberley and I was born prematurely with underdeveloped optic nerves and Congenital Cataracts that were overlooked until I was four years old. I lived with severe sight-impairment, with only a small visual field in my left eye, until I went blind in 2018 through double retinal detachment. I now suffer with ongoing high pressures in both eyes, with frequent ocular migraines, and have a small shard of light perception at the top of my left eye.
As an illustrator interested in drawing for children's books at the time, I was trying to progress onto the second year of my Bachelors Degree at Leeds Arts University. I even gained interest from a well-known book publisher in London. It felt like all of the stars were aligning and my childhood dreams were coming true! I had already lived through an incredibly difficult year by bearing witness to my mum's severe stroke, immediately becoming her carer and taking the year out of University to do so. Surely the world wouldn't be so cruel as to take my sight too? The black curtain and flashing lights of retinal detachment signalled yes. Yes, it could.
This traumatic time had drastically changed my life and, during the lengthy recovery process of four emergency surgeries, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the useful vision in my left eye wasn't returning. I started to ask myself many questions. Did I want to return to university? How would I illustrate as a blind person? I wouldn't be able to use a drawing tablet on the computer the same way as before. Did I want to create at all?
Even though I was fully supported and encouraged upon my return to campus, I struggled a great deal to come to terms with the trauma of losing my sight. I remember my peers were completing an animation module that I couldn't partake in because of the inaccessible software and heavy visual element. I tried to problem-solve this with my tutor but it made me feel inadequate. My confidence was at its lowest and I had feelings of shame. There was a grieving process I had to go through and so I deferred yet another academic year.
I yearned for creativity but it was such a painful place to even consider visiting.
After figuring my own systems to streamline daily life, and reaching personal acceptance, I returned to university and found that the modules had changed to be more open and inclusive. I began to develop my artistic voice through an authorial approach to creating: marrying my written words and paintings. I continued my degree in the knowledge that illustration can be any kind of tangible response. There is particular esteem and value in hand-made analog approaches.
I embraced an 'art as therapy' healing approach through abstract expressionism. All of the gestures and mark-making is intentional as part of the performance with the materials and the canvas when listening to music or meditating on a thought. I find enjoyment in getting as involved as possible with the surface using my hands and palette knife to scratch and scrape. It feels visceral and liberating, capitalising on all of the senses. No sight is needed. When the canvas is dry, the paint becomes tactile and three dimensional adding even more personal value.
Painting is a powerful and proficient cognitive experience, giving me the space to work through the traumatic experience of going blind. I use myself as a vessel to express and communicate my feelings to reach a state of clarity. The creative process is a method of direct communication between my fractured heart and mind. This ideology is common among many artists and musicians. I'm often asked why I paint when I cannot see and I give the same response: it isn't about the final piece, in a visual sense, or the materials that I'm using to achieve an outcome. Art is healing. It helps promote relaxation, reduces cortisol and lowers blood pressure levels. It is human to create no matter who is doing the creating.
I began to share my work on instagram, using alt text on all imagery, and found that being open, honest and vulnerable with my audience increased my authenticity as a painter. These are values that are important to me. My sighted audience are respectful and participate in communicating what they see in my paintings through the colours and shapes in the composition. I enjoy hearing how particular gestures are reminiscent of figures and plants. I recently built my first canvas frame, with help from the workshop manager at my University, before sizing and preparing for painting. Making my first canvas from scratch has provided me with a huge sense of achievement!
What is art worth to a blind painter? Everything. It is a continual journey of self-healing that has much more value now than it did before my retinal detachment. My relationship with art is intimate, emotional, challenging, and purposeful, and equips me with the tools I need to minimise my trauma with dignity. Connecting with an audience has elevated my self-worth and confidence and the future excites me!
Accepting and working with blindness has helped me to challenge my previous perfectionism and tap into something more engaging and profound."
Reflecting on this experience:
• Writing my dissertation has greatly informed my practice and the work that i do, giving me a deeper understanding of why Art Therapy and art as therapy approaches are so beneficially scientifically
• The dissertation has also improved my academic writing skills and made me a much more proficient communicator. Before, I was very "chatty" and could never quite articulate what I wanted to say. Now I am more precise and impactful with fewer words.
• The chance to reach other blind readers and professionals increases my visibility
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