By profession, I am an analyst. We are typically known for being clever (well, most of us), but not so much for our communication skills! I don’t think my job really allows me to express myself very well. People, who know me, know that I have a lot of energy. I constantly want to put this energy into good use, which is one of the main reasons I started this blog.
Expressing myself is very important and it is something I have been typically scared of doing. I am scared to let myself stand out in the crowd, even though I am a loud character. I hold myself back from being… well ME quite often, because I get anxious. When I am meeting new people, I am already using so much energy trying not to draw attention to my disability (i.e. when trying to make a coffee, I hate fancy machines), so I haven’t got the energy for conversation or it is just not a priority.
Writing this blog has definitely helped me to be true to myself, it gives me an outlet to consider my life and reflect on my feelings. Through promoting this blog on twitter, I found acting workshops for visually impaired people which finish with a performance. I don’t have many friends that are visually impaired, and have never felt like I have fit in with a big group of normal or disabled people, but the people I have met during these workshops have helped me to see how easily I can fit into a group. I feel so comfortable with the people there and have been able to share some really personal experiences. The way I have felt performing and acting with them has been unbelievable. It has helped me to develop my sense of self and it is such a buzz. The people at the workshops have all inspired me; the challenges they have overcome and they are all still smiling.
Expressing myself has been so important. I can’t have a week where all I do is work and sleep, it’s boring! These workshops have given me something to be excited about, and a few hours in the week where I can feel happy and comfortable in a group. This has been awesome, and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything quite like this without my disability. Disability did good.
disabilityandme.net 