From Paper Crafter to Helping Disabled

Have you ever had a migraine? Have you ever had it last hours? Days? Months? Years? I live with a migraine that never turns off. Each day and minute is not the same pain level, but December 2017 was excruciating. I could not lie down, sleep, or focus on things that distract the average person, but I could craft. The only thing that brought me through the other side of the normal everyday level of pain was creating art. Specifically, I love to handcraft interactive journals from upcycled items and also create handmade cards. Instead of thinking about the migraine, I’m thinking about my scissors, paper trimmer, paper, stickers, paint, canvas, art journals, and even junk mail. If it sits still, it is an art supply.

As the month came to a close, and 2018 was drawing near, I started feeling back to my normal more tolerable pain level. Looking around, there was art everywhere and so many cards made I needed to donate them to others. Art is my replacement for pain meds. But, I didn’t realize until that month how art was such a relief in the most difficult times. Companies that sell art supplies can’t possibly know how they provide the tools to help me survive extreme pain.

I thought to myself, there has to be a science behind art and the improvement of a person's mental state. So I did some research and found the clinical evidence to show how art actually improves a person’s well being! That compelled me to bring art supplies to those who are disabled. In Jan 2018, I created a nonprofit called Disabled Artists Foundation, Inc. (dAFi - pronounced like defy the odds). The mission: Energize Disabled Through Art. With experience in poverty at times in my own life, I designed the primary program of the foundation to bring creative arts to those who can't even afford to buy the most basic art supplies.

As many of us who create art already know, the process of creating art helps us express ourselves in color and shapes. We often get lost in the art and lose track of time, challenges and troubles.

There are already amazing nonprofits that promise what they can help solve for the future, but we are focused on energizing the differently abled NOW. A respite from the chronic or acute physical and emotional conditions we must endure.

We seek to help those who are disabled and differently abled escape IN THE MOMENT - even just for a few hours a month. Instead of thinking about their upcoming treatment or battle with depression, they are wondering which color pairs well with blue. Instead of burying their head in their hands over the pain they live with acutely or chronically, they are choosing which scissors to use to fussy cut a magazine. Instead of worrying about their terminal or chronic challenge, they are hanging out with other creators decorating a pair of shoes we provided them. Instead of opening only bills and junk mail every month, they get a package of art supplies that gives them a few minutes (or hours) of dreaming on what they will create. Instead of continuously watching their clock tick by worrying about their challenges, they are busy making. WE FOCUS on the NOW and their current well being. WE FOCUS on the PLAY amid their acute or chronic challenges. WE FOCUS on the INSPIRATION and the challenge we can bring them each month to help them escape into that creative space. Like a vacation from their burdens.

The blessing of a person finding their joy, their purpose, their energy, their experiences and sometimes even their pain relief during the process of crafting is better than medicine as many of us already know. Adding art in your life shouldn't just be limited to those wealthy enough to buy scissors, paper trimmers and paint.

Our foundation, now three years old, provides free art supplies every month to adult disabled artists (Hartists). For those who don’t qualify financially, we recently created the dAM Club (differently Abled Makers) and provide them humor, inspiration, and discounts to art supplies.

We are truly a grass roots foundation surviving on the auctions we hold and the art supplies donated, so any prize, donation or discount on supplies make a load of difference in people’s lives NOW.

For more information or if you would like to help, please check out our website at www.disabledartists.org