Happy 1st Birthday!

Photo of my gifts from earlier this year
when I appeared on Granada Reports

Today my blog celebrates its birthday - turning one year old! It has been exactly a year since I first set up my blog, on 8th October 2013, when I posted my initial introductory post and sight loss story!

The aim of my blog was to provide an interesting insight into the life of a young severely visually impaired person; and that focus is still as strong today as it was a year ago. With 112 posts and over 8,700 page views, I have achieved more than I ever thought possible! The past year has been an incredible journey and it has been a huge privilege to share it with my readership!

Over the past 12 months I have completed my mobility training with a long cane, finished my daily living skills with rehabilitation focused around the kitchen, whizzed through my Braille course where I now volunteer as a tutor, and completed an employability course learning a whole range of new skills.

I have been provided with some fantastic opportunities too, some of which include; a visit to the Houses of Parliament, becoming an illustrator for a magazine and living out my childhood dream, being interviewed by the Salford Advertiser, Manchester Evening News, Granada Reports, ITV News and Daily Mail Online, giving speeches at events, riding pillion on the back of a motorbike to raise vital funds, regularly blogging on behalf of my favourite charities and organisations, displaying my artwork at the Trafford Centre and St. Vincent's School for Visually Impaired Children in Liverpool, filming for Bright for Sight, helping to install an exhibition as well as donating a specially-created illustration for it.

I want to say a big thank you to all of my readers for helping my blog grow from strength to strength over the past 12 months. I look forward to the journey that the next year takes us!

New Guest Blog Posts

As a resident blogger for Henshaws Society for Blind People, One Man's Vision and Living Paintings, I submit posts regularly to reach as wide an audience as possible. This enables me to share my interests and experiences with other VI people - as well as sighted people too! - to provide an interesting insight into a young severely sight-impaired person's life.

Quite a number of my blog posts have gone live on each of their websites recently, and I wanted to share them here.

Henshaws Society for Blind People

In my newest blog post for Henshaws, I share my recent visit to the Imperial War Museum North with the Art Galleries & Museums group, based at the Manchester resource centre, and our exploration of the 'From Street to Trench' exhibition. I detail our touch and handling session of special artefacts from the First World War, as well as our audio description session consisting of a 15 foot painting by Gilbert Rogers and of a bronze Great Gable Memorial plaque.

You can read my latest blog post with Henshaws by clicking here or on the thumbnail above. All of my previous nine blog posts in total, as their resident blogger, can be viewed by clicking here.

One Man's Vision

As part of my involvement in the One Man's Vision exhibition, I will be updating the blog regularly to keep readers informed of everything from installation and preparation, to my illustration created specially for the exhibition - right up to the opening of the exhibition itself.

You can read my first blog post with One Man's Vision by clicking here or on the thumbnail above. More blog posts will be uploaded soon!

Living Paintings

I also shared my recent visit to the Imperial War Museum North, with the Henshaws Art Galleries and Museums group, to the Living Paintings blog. I share the objects that were discovered during the touch and handling session; which included a munitions medal, a Princess Mary Christmas gift box, a trench art bullet and a trench art ring. I also detail the audio descriptions provided of Ypres, 1915 by Gilbert Rogers and the Great Gable Memorial plaque in heavy bronze set on a plinth.

You can read my blog post by clicking here or on the thumbnail above.

Finally, I shared my experiences of being involved with the One Man's Vision exhibition with the Living Paintings blog and their readers - detailing my Brailled accessible labels to ensure information is as inclusive as possible, installation of the exhibition and creating an illustration specially for it based on the perceptions of blind and visually impaired people.

You can read my blog post in its entirety by clicking here or on the thumbnail above. I will be keeping the Living Paintings community up-to-date with the exhibition in future blog posts!

100th Blog Post!

I've now reached my second milestone of 100 blog posts!

It was only at the end of April that I'd reached the milestone of my 50th blog post. Since then, I have gathered almost 8,000 unique page views on my blog - double what I had back in April! - and have achieved some great things in the past 5 months. 

Here are a few of the highlights from the past 50 posts:

Kindly invited by staff members to have my GCSE A* carousel artwork displayed at the RNIB Pears Centre in Coventry.

Completed my birthday composition to celebrate John Lewis' 150th birthday, which was displayed at their restaurant in the Trafford Centre, from 1st June to 27th July.

Designed 4 geometric shape Thank You cards for the RNIB to be given to their donors who donate to the charity.

Designed a Christmas card for Henshaws Society for Blind People to be sold at Christmas and raise funds for the charity.

Attended the RNIB Campaigners' Convention 2014 at Aston Business School in Birmingham, learning a variety of new campaigning skills through the various workshops on offer.

Displayed part of my portfolio at the Positive Eye: Positive Outcomes and Practical Approaches Conference at St. Vincent's School for Blind Children, in Liverpool.

Rode pillion on the back of a Triumph 2012 from Manchester to Knaresborough, Harrogate (150 miles there and back!) for the Henshaws Sausage Run 2014.

Undertook a 2 week work placement with the Guide Dogs Training Centre in Atherton, Leigh as part of the 12 week Skillstep course provided by Henshaws. Also fulfilled the final part of my assessment and harness training; and now waiting to be matched to my own Guide Dog!

Graduated from the 12 week Skillstep course at Henshaws Society for Blind People's Manchester resource centre over the summer months.

Completed my final illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine as their Young Illustrator of the Year, 2014.

I want to say a big thank you to all of my readers, especially the team at Henshaws Society for Blind People and Irlam and Cadishead Now, for showing their constant support through sharing my blog entries with their wider Twitter and Facebook audiences. Your support means so much to me!

Fourth Blog Post with Henshaws

My fourth blog post has now been

posted to the Henshaws Blog!

In my latest entry, I explain how I produce artwork and illustrations as a severely visually impaired person as well as providing images of my workspace located in my kitchen.

I explain how I equip myself with time and patience (due to only being able to work for 15-20 minutes at a time), how organisation makes a big difference, and reveal some of the tools I use - such as dark fine liners rather than pencils to outline images and a Daylight lamp to help illuminate the artwork.

There is now a handy new feature implemented to the left-hand side of the blog, enabling visitors to view entries by selecting the author. You can view and keep track of all of my contributions to the blog by clicking here!

Blog Post for Living Paintings

I was kindly asked to write a blog post for Living Paintings recently, a charity that produces touch-to-see books for visually impaired and blind people, explaining how I developed an interest in creating artwork and how I manage to do so as a severely visually impaired person.

I go into detail about what inspires my illustrations, how I organise my mediums, how I plan a piece before getting started, and also provide a few helpful tips on how to identify shades before using them and how to colour inside an image without going over the edges!

You read my blog entry by clicking here or on the above image.
A big thank you to Living Paintings for asking me to contribute to their fantastic blog!

50th Blog Post!

I have now reached my 50th blog post
with over 3,500 unique page views!

I want to say a big thank you to all of my readers, especially the team at Henshaws Society for Blind People and Irlam and Cadishead Now, for showing their constant support through sharing my blog entries with their wider Twitter and Facebook audiences. Your support means so much to me!

A lot has changed since I first created my blog in October 2013 and I'm so grateful for all of the opportunities that have come my way since I've started blogging. I've had the wonderful opportunity of becoming the RNIB's Young Illustrator for 2014, followed by a media whirlwind shortly afterwards, as well as being very lucky to have the chance to regularly contribute to the Henshaws blog - as well as give speeches at some really wonderful events.

I look forward to continuing with my blogging, and
hope to reach my next milestone of 100 posts in the near future!

Third Henshaws Blog Post: Illustrations for Insight Magazine

My third blog post with Henshaws has now been posted to their website and online blog!

My latest entry details my illustrations for the RNIB's Insight Magazine and includes photos of the drawings I have completed so far - including my illustration from the current issue!

This entry follows on from my previous Day in the Life blog entry, where I briefly mentioned that I'm a keen illustrator and produce drawings for RNIB's Insight Magazine as their young illustrator, and will continue to do so for each issue throughout the year.

I explain how I entered and won the Young illustrator of the Year 2014 competition before Christmas with a piece that depicts my next steps in life, and the media whirlwind that followed shortly after completing my second illustration - thanks to the power of social media!

You can view my blog post with Henshaws by clicking here or on any of the above images. My next blog entry will be posted in a fortnight and will go into detail of how I illustrate as a severely visually impaired person, including how I organise my tools and manage and distribute my time between drawings.

I'm now finishing off my fourth illustration and will post it here when it's completed!

Second Henshaws Blog Post: A Day in My Life

My second blog entry was posted earlier today on the Henshaws Blog, giving insight into a typical day in my life as a visually impaired person.

"I’m often asked what it’s like to live life with a visual impairment. Many people think that it must differ remarkably from a sighted person’s day-to-day life, but I actually enjoy doing the same things that you do – I just have to approach it in a slightly different way. I wanted to share with you a typical day in my life, to give you a better understanding of my daily routine…"

You can read about a day in my life by clicking here.

I have written some more blog posts over the past few weeks including entries regarding my illustrations for Insight Magazine, how I produce artwork as a visually impaired person, the arts & crafts group at Henshaws, and my Braille progress.

I look forward to them being posted in the near future
and sharing them with you!

Blog Contributor for Henshaws

Henshaws have recently launched an online blog, sharing the stories of those who are visually impaired, blind and / or disabled and providing helpful tips and information from staff members. It will give an insight into how Henshaws has helped the various service users' quality of life, and is directed at supporters, fellow service users and other visually impaired or disabled people who may not yet realise how Henshaws can benefit them too.

I was kindly asked to be a contributor to the blog, submitting regular posts covering a whole range of different topics - from my story of sight loss, to how the service has benefitted me and dramatically changed my life, to my hobbies including my interest in illustrating, crafting and brailling.

My first blog entry was posted yesterday and details my story of sight loss during childhood, how I found out about the Henshaws charity last year, and the service they provide for me. I have written a few more over the past month and look forward to sharing them with everyone through the Henshaws blog, and here, in the near future!