I Taught Myself How to Paint with My Mouth
When I turned 15, I became paralyzed from the neck down, within less than one hour, due to a very rare neurological syndrome that has no known cure or cause – “idiopathic”.
During a long period of almost 3 years in a rehabilitation hospital, I taught myself how to paint with my mouth. It is through lots of practice and hard work that I realized I can do anything; my body may be limited, but what I can do and achieve is limited only by my mind.
Fast Forward to Present Day
Twenty-five years later, I’ve become a professional artist and a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World (MFPA).
The MFPA has been supporting highly successful artists who because of a handicap or disease are unable to create their works of art with their hands and instead use their mouths or feet. The association is active worldwide and already represented in 74 countries of the world with currently about 800 artists.
Being accepted to the MFPA has been a big achievement on its own, but my biggest accomplishment in my life is becoming a mother. In February 2014, my son, Itai, was born and forever changed my life.
A Disabled Artist and Mother
In addition to all obvious motherly challenges, being a disabled mother has had its own physical and emotional challenges. You could only imagine how these were amplified during the Coronavirus pandemic when we all had to be at home and couldn’t get out.
I saw how my son was struggling to adjust to the new routine and how difficult it was for him to be in quarantine, not being able to go outside, play with friends, visit places and do whatever children love to do at this age.
My son’s situation, as well as the situation of many other children in the world, has inspired me to create a series of paintings depicting children in quarantine time, imagining impossible things on the outside and in, using their imagination to escape boredom and confront their fears.
With or Without the Corona
On top of being a profession, painting has always been my passion and therapy. It has even been more therapeutic during the Coronavirus pandemic.
With or without the Corona, I continue to see my art as a medium that allows me tremendous freedom to be creative and convey a message to the world, that regardless of my disability, I am "high on life", full with hope and optimism and always see the bright side of life.
I want to inspire people to believe that everything is possible if you just put your heart and mind to it.
