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- Deviant for 15 years
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My Bio
We live in a time in which advances in computer technology are creating exciting new opportunities for thousands of people who experience debilitating paralysis from disease and injury each year. No longer does physical disability have to mean a life of isolation and despair. Today, even the most severely disabled of us are using computers equipped with assistive technology to communicate with the people we encounter in our daily lives, stay connected with family and friends, manage our personal affairs, work, create, and attend school.
When I was diagnosed with ALS it never occurred to me to surrender to a life devoid of productivity, happiness, and quality. So I didn't. I adapted. When I could no longer walk, I used a chair. When my arms became so weak that I could no longer work as a professional musician I wrote and with the help of friends, self published a music instruction book. When I could no longer operate a keyboard I wrote with speech recognition software. Eventually, I lost the ability to speak and started using my current system which involves a small infrared sensor that clips to my glasses and responds to tiny facial movements.
Two years ago I discovered digital art and with it came a new passion. I realize that there are limits to what I can accomplish artistically yet I persevere and continue to learn. While my drawings may appear simplistic to some I believe in the universal truth that less is more and that much can be said with a few simple lines.
To truly live a life of quality, however, it is not enough to achieve personal success and happiness. I have been blessed with good insurance, a steady income, and people who love and support me. Others are less fortunate. I believe it is important to offer a helping hand to those in need. It is my hope that this is reflected in my art and how I live . If I have helped others who find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation realize that disability does not mean inability and that a life of quality is within reach then I have achieved success.
Thomas Nelson (2010)
When I was diagnosed with ALS it never occurred to me to surrender to a life devoid of productivity, happiness, and quality. So I didn't. I adapted. When I could no longer walk, I used a chair. When my arms became so weak that I could no longer work as a professional musician I wrote and with the help of friends, self published a music instruction book. When I could no longer operate a keyboard I wrote with speech recognition software. Eventually, I lost the ability to speak and started using my current system which involves a small infrared sensor that clips to my glasses and responds to tiny facial movements.
Two years ago I discovered digital art and with it came a new passion. I realize that there are limits to what I can accomplish artistically yet I persevere and continue to learn. While my drawings may appear simplistic to some I believe in the universal truth that less is more and that much can be said with a few simple lines.
To truly live a life of quality, however, it is not enough to achieve personal success and happiness. I have been blessed with good insurance, a steady income, and people who love and support me. Others are less fortunate. I believe it is important to offer a helping hand to those in need. It is my hope that this is reflected in my art and how I live . If I have helped others who find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation realize that disability does not mean inability and that a life of quality is within reach then I have achieved success.
Thomas Nelson (2010)
Tools of the Trade
E Z Keys Scanning software, IST switch to emulate a mouse click when I move my cheek, Xara Xtreme
An Ode to Facebook
0 min read
I don't own a mobile phone,
Can't speak or give a toast.
So I must type the hidden words,
Every time I post.
But if they stood before me,
I'm sure they'd be agreeable.
According to the ADA,
They should be more accessible.
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Win A Free Print!
0 min read
Visit http://handpickeddesigns.com for details. Good luck and have fun!
Thomas
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Notes on a previous life #1
0 min read
Purely by accident, or perhaps it was fate, serendipity, or some mysterious cosmic force, I happened upon a film on IFC entitled, "Grand Theft Parsons." The film told the story of how after the drug overdose death of Gram Parsons, his road manager fulfilled a promise by stealing his body from the Los Angeles International Airport, driving it to California's high desert, setting it afire, thereby freeing Gram's spirit in a place he loved.
Because our band, the Flying Dorrito Brothers, was so named as a play on words after Gram's band the Flying Burrito Brothers (we later changed the spelling from Dorrito to D'Rito because F'Rito Lay took exc
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Profile Comments 51
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