Think your life is hard? - Try painting Mona Lisa with one finger!

virtualgrowth (72)in #life • 8 years ago (edited)

Paul Smith with severe case of spastic Cerebral Palsy lived 85 years and painted with a typewriter with one finger!

We take life for granted. For we could not know otherwise. We can do what we can and think everyone else can since that is what most of us see and grow up with.

With a severe case of spastic Cerebral Palsy Paul was not expected to live that long. However he managed to live for 85 years! Most of us simply grow up learning to crawl, walk, talk, and so on. It would take 16 years for Paul to learn how to talk and 32 years to learn how to walk!

Was also difficult for Paul to grasp pens and pencils, dress, eat, or even express his mind.

He was not entitled to education and was not taught to read or write. With his speech and mobility greatly affected by his condition people just probably thought he could never talk and walk. But he believed he could! Just took him a long time but he managed against such great odds!

Paul's claim to fame is to become known as the “Typewriter Artist”. Someone so challenged by such a difficult life. Yet his mind persevered to find his way. His way with a typewriter that he started toying with after finding it discarded by a neighbor.

Unable to talk or write he would set out to type with one finger. Although unsteady with motor skill challenges. he would hold his hand with the otehr and type with one finger along the top row of characters. Where he used the symbols insted of the numers and letters everyone else uses.

He would rise through his inabilities to mastery of typewriter art!

source: odditycentral.com

Learning how to paint his thoughts with a typewriter. Paul found his way to communicate his thoughts and feelings with the world! Creating beautiful works of art. Including some versions of paintings as famous as the Mona Lisa!

Paul's art was of familiar forms. This included nature, animals, outdoors, and his childhood love of trains. Along with Leonardo da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa" his creations also included other well known art that he had deep love for that shows through his most incredible work. These included Auguste Rodin’s "The Thinker" and Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s "Washington Crossing the Delaware".

source: cerebralpalsy.org

Oddly enough the subjects of his work such as the Pope and Jesus weren't as remarkable as the skill shown through that he accomplished this with a typewriter! Let alone being motor skill challenged and typing with only one finger! The replicas of artwork he created y way of the typewriter are simpyly amazing!

These old typewriters also did not allow for error. So no using that backspace key! Or even an eraser. Could you even imagine trying to type out the Mona Lisa!? The world may still have never thought of such an idea if this man had not brought it to our attention by mastering this skill and presenting us with typewriter art!

He would lock the shift key in position as to use the special characters instead of the numbers to create his art work patterns masterfully one keystroke at a time. Through the different characters and spacing Paul would create his amazing works of art. Using his left hand to steady his right hand with one finger extended to strike each key.

During his life time the color ribbon came about and he progressed his art into colored art. He would thoroughly think through all the key strokes and colors as he worked into his amazing typewriter art.

Paul Smith's Indian

source: cerebralpalsy.org

Would work a couple hours a day typing his art. Could take him any where from a few weeks to a few months to complete a work of art from start to finish.

Might have been able to sell some of his art for some money. But with his hert of gold and love of life and giving. He would also give his art away to people.

Since he could not write. He would sign his art by typing out his name near the bottom.

Interestingly he did not even believe he had a talent!

source: odditycentral.com

He believed his talent was more simply just a gift that was not produced by effort. Not a matter of work. more so that his art was a pursuit of leisure and expression.

These days people with such different challenges have technology to help them. This is what brought back my idea of this amazing typewriter artist. When someone mentioned an introduction of someone on steemit with the same disease.

@michaellandau and his introduction post.

In short Michael Landau has cerebral palsy and made it through 17 years to get through graduate school to earn a PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Georgia!

There are estimates that Paul created over 400 works of typewriter art during his life time. His work inspires people to this day and many more to come from all walks of life.

Would you believe he became a master chess player? Well he did! Some other interests included the Knights of Columbus where he was a member and also a devout member of the Catholic Church. He had an out of this world patience and ingenuity! Also a love for classical music and the Miami Dolphins.

If you get a chance take time to notice one of Paul's best friends ... a squirrel!

source: cerebralpalsy.org

His works were mostly unknown. But thanks to technology and the internet his work can be seen my many. Hope that you have enjoyed. And many more may enjoy and be inspired!