I have a friend in Seattle, Cooper, who had a very engaging and popular art program before his stroke a couple of years ago. His stroke left him with paralysis on his dominant side.
Now, after his stroke, he uses his non-dominant hand to paint and live. He has re-invented himself and his approach to art. Although the artwork is very different than before his stroke, his single handed paintings are meeting with very good commercial success (ie, he's selling a bunch!)
This post is for the use of ANY single-handed artist, in ANY medium to comment. Please take this opportunity to comment!
What works for you as one whose challenge is having the use of one hand rather than two? How have you adapted? It's your turn! Scoll down to see all the ideas and comments!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
1 comment:
Welcome to The Single Handed Life. A few rules:
(1) Be kind. Do no harm. This includes being critical of people, products, manufacturers and anything else that someone else may be getting benefit from.
(2) You can be anonymous, but just remember rule number (1).
(3) If you know good websites, please link them to your blog comments.
(4) If you know any good products, please tell us why they help and how to purchase them.
(5) If you know any good techniques, please tell us what your disability is, why this technique works for you, and outline the technique step by step.
Thank you for your input!
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My current condition doesn’t define me. It’s not who I am. I couldn’t be any other happier. Amazing. The pride of achievement makes you delight in the exquisiteness of the dexterity of your body – and of the process.
ReplyDeleteExplore new ways to doing things. Do them as “experiments”! There’s a feeling of elegance, of joy. You trick yourself into making progress.
Learn to cut with scissors with your non-dominant hand. I’ve probably invented fifty ways of doing things in new ways. To spread butter, leave the wrapper on a stick of butter and use it like a glue stick to apply the butter.
There are four things you really want to do for yourself - personal hygiene, dressing yourself, eating and writing. It’s survival. And so it happens. It will happen. You must depend on yourself.
There are things that at first baffle you, but in the long run they add to your joy, once you attain them. There’s an exquisiteness in toileting yourself that does bring you joy. It makes you feel better. To think of how to do it propels me. I look forward every day to doing these things.
Work on goal attainment. Some I’m excited about are:
1 Putting on a sock with one hand. It’s elegant and graceful. It took me a week to do. Now I show people I can do it.
2 Brush your teeth with one hand. Squirt toothpaste on your teeth, then brush it over them.
3 Button a shirt sleeve on your single hand. I can button my left sleeve with my left hand!
Incredible. Kind of fun.
4 Peanut butter and jelly, yogurt – things that come in a container. Had to think of a way to get jam, etc. out with one hand. Use your fingers to manipulate the lid.
5 To spread peanut butter, jelly or honey, put it in your mouth, use your tongue to spread it on the bread – like a wasp. It may take a month but you’ll do it – and it’s fun.
6 Doing the dishes. The goal is to get the soap on, have dishes all lined up to dip in different pots, scrub and rinse them – a long process, yet it is rewarding to do your own. Turned out to be pretty fun.
It’s all rehabilitative to the mind.
Cooper Edens, artist, author and illustrator, If You’re Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow and many other books.