Business Matters

 

It's been a while since I last wrote a blog post.  So, I thought remind my readers and tell my readers, who I am and a little about my business. 

My micro-business combines my passions, creative writing and publishing; visual art, I love working with a number of different mediums and advocacy.   

As an artist I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and skills with others; I enjoy teaching, making art with others, seeing others grow and using my artistic talent's to advocate for the needs and rights of disabled people.  I count myself as privilege being a person of white colour and well educated (not that any of that matters).  Although I only have a physical disability often people assume I have a intellectual disability or perhaps the just unsure of how to interact with someone with a speech disorder. My art has been exhibited in many galleries and art competitions.  Including Drawing Point Gallery - Arttime in Brisbane St Ipswich, Ipswich Community Gallery; Bonnah Regional Art Gallery, Greaser Gallery in Fortitude Vallery, Several exhibits with Art From the Margins, and Off The Wall Gallery in Newtown Sydney. 

One of the most important things about being in business.  If people don't know who I am, then their not going to buy my artwork. My professional memberships have included: Ipswich Arts Connect; Access Arts; Arts Access Australia; Aspire Gallery; Society of Women Writer, Queensland Writer's Center; Ipswich Women in Business and Creative Ipswich. and now . . .  Be Your Own Boss! Be your own boos, commence in 2020 and was to be a one event. Two years later, we're still meeting growing and sharing our skills.  BYOB is now a network of miro-business owners living with disabilities and we're ready to be joined by new business owners in 2023.  For more information you can contact the Ipswich or Gold Coasts Carer's Queensland Officers. 

Don't ask me for business advice, my brain is way to creative and full of ideas of things to create.  My goals is not to make money but be part of a vibrate creative arts & cultural community in Ipswich and see other people with disabilities reach the full potentials.  Employers have missed out on some pretty amazing talent, please continue to watch us grow as business owners and artists.

Current my hand painted or printed cards are available at Artsmith's Arttime and Dingley Dell Art Gallery has a selection of my work.

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Does Every Australia Count

 

I had a dream where everyone in Australia was equal and everyone had the right to reach for that stars and have determination over their own destiny. Presently for many minority groups in Australia this is not the case. As I reflect on the eve of another Every Australian Counts National Day of Action, I want to crawl into a ball and cry.  

Today there are too many reminders that we as disable people are not value. I reflect this is also true of elderly Australians who built this country, but are mistreated, abused, taken advantage of, as other wait for them to die. While caregivers are put on a petals for the generous care given to others. I want to acknowledge in some cases this is genuinely deserve. 

However in a free and demotic  society, there shouldn't be a need for us and them terminology. We sing.  'we are one and free.'. How I wish this was true. 

Not all Australians have equal access to accommodation, medical care, education, nourishment, legal representation. Too many people with disabilities still have no voice, live in isolation, inadequate care, live or work in settings that put them in dangerous situations.

I remember speaking at the opening of the NDIS office,  I had a dream that one day that disable people were not seen or referred too as less fortunate.  Sadly the language in this federal election campaign highlights my dream has not been achieved. Many like myself hoped the NDIS would  usher in a new era in support and services for people with disabilities in Australia.

If anything political language tells us we are weak, we are less and we are unaffordable. I felt very proud when Dylan Ascort was named Australian of the year and yet I chock when support workers call me inspirational because I simply seek a better life for myself and others.

Today, I feel cheated.  I feel like my NDIS plan is a bank account for others to exploit. Its Ok its money. Just pay the invoices'.'  However it becomes my money once my budget us expended and I am forced to pay for services and equipment, out of my wages and pension because companies and individuals put their greed before my welfare. 

Today some asked to be paid $40 per hour to play scrabble.  Because that person see my greatest need is for company.  Well at present my reality is pay the going rate or remain not supported.  This person wants to engage with me for five hours, I then need to find time to work at $38 per our; make sure my personal, business, and invoices are paid;  ensure my budget is on tack, Prepare my own dinner because my workers son has COVID and I have not energy to deal with someone who sees me as the person who pays their bills.

Today I feel totally worthless. That another human wants $40 per hour, so they feel better, so they can eat.  Today I must choose to let her go or receive less support,  Today, I decide her assistance, good will or charity is not with it.  Today I don't know if  I have support Friday or Monday.

Today maybe the risk of contracting COVID and dying is worth the risk of feeling devalued and having my spirt crushed and my soul destroyed.

Today, I don't want to fight to make the NDIS work. I pray tomorrow the urge to fight for secured funding for all disable people will return. 

Tomorrow's tip to the government and the NDIA put a stop to services that treat us like of plans are a bank account and they can make withdrawals at anytime .

Come on Australia we are better than this.

Finding Belonging Through Artbooks SD 480p

The power of sharing stories

 Sharing Stories

Image: a multi-coloured A3 size artbook the cover is over layer 

with a coral pink print on a sea colour background,

with a hand-sized felt spider hanging from a bright 

red button. The red button about the size of a 50 cent piece

is accompanied by 3 other identical buttons.

Storytelling is what artists do best, whether it be written, spoken or through images. Storytelling follows a tradition of the First Nations People over thousands you years. Handed down through oral tradition music and dance.  Using art to tell our individual and collective stories evokes an emotional response.  These responses demand action. 

All of us have been impacted by COVID-19 and we have had to change the way to do things in order to protect others and save lives. Working and learning online has become the new norm.  This new norm continues to pose challenges for the deaf and disabled arts community. 

Image: Artists standing with a life size stuffed scarecrow; in jeans and a blue and white check shirt.  Likewise the female artist is dressed in blue tight and a white shirt dotted with tiny purple flowers. Her long hair is tied in a tight ponytail and she is wearing triose glasses. 

One way I share my story is by participating in an Artists in Residency Program at local Kindergartens. One way to share my story is 'to live it'!  Powerful storytelling needs to active

As artists the way we create and present work has impacted our incomes.  Art in some from fills every areas of our lives, yet at the start of COVID the arts we almost wiped aside,  While life without art is almost unimaginable, economic support for the arts sector had to be lobbed for.  Most artists work on contract and gigs. By definition we are rarely employed for a period of 12 months.   

Visual artist like every other business lost physical space in the marked place as galleries and major exhibitions were cancelled.  It is why many artist live me invested in upskilling to find new ways to get their work scene. 

While kindy was cancelled and one by one competitions and group exhibition were also cancelled. I was able to present an artwork online through a gallery I work with in Brisbane and participate in webinars online to explore new ways to present and promote my work,

Unlike the majority of artists I was successful in applying for funding for both a digital project and physical project for the next 12 months.  While many artists seek specific funding for artists living with disabilities, I am able to successfully compete for mainstream funding. I believe this makes my story even more powerful. I work in the mainstream artists community, while advocating for the development of inclusive art spaces. 

This was a discussion held at this weeks Meeting Place.  Creating social change in the arts community demands we find powerful ways to tell our stories.  Social change in the arts and disability sector requires advocating in two ways:-

1. Advocating for changes in accessibility to the arts and the community in general. Many deaf and disable artists feel unsupported and undervalued. On average and artist living with disability earns 40% as their peers.  Characters and therefore performs with disabilities are underrepresented and when a character is disabled roles are still offered to able-bodied people.  Under representation in theatre, film and television remains for all those who are disadvantaged. These statistics increase the difficulties in telling our stories in a genuine and powerful way. Stella Young often spoke of disability prawn, where disable people were labelled as inspirational for something as simple as having a job.  We still struggle to loosen the chains of tokenism. Yet we also struggle as disabled people to have our needs meet. Both forms of advocacy are required because the general perception we are less. 
2. Advocating for the arts in general; COVID 19 has provided a stark illustration of how the arts is valued in terms of the Australian economy the arts was dismasted by the impact of COVID. Most artists are engaged on contracts and not eligible for job keeper or job seeker.  Their was not assistance for the industry until the industry advocated for a lifeline.  Though the arts employ more people than the sporting world it was the world that tugged at the hearts of governments and general public.  The arts is one of the last industries to be opened up in a COVID plan.   Many are unware of what a world looks like without arts.  Television,  movies, theater, music events and venues, dance companies and art galleries all closed for business and COVID still makes it difficult for some companies to operate.  Once again in times of economic struggle support for the arts us warned. 

Disable artists are in a constant battle on all fronts.  Both sectors are seen by politicians as optional extras and for many years the Liberal Government referred to the NDIS as a scheme that Australia couldn't afford, yet even with the scheme fully operationally it was able to bring back the budget in to surplus.  People struggled to comprehend the value disabled people added to the economy.  Little has been said about how or why the scheme was delivered millions of dollars underbudget and this was a key factor in the budget returning to surplus. 

The sharing of stories is how many majority groups have created change.  Including slavery, women, rights of First Nations Peoples, LAGBT and more. Stories is what gives social issue a face, however that face needs to present the facts as they are.   

  

Telling my own story can play a powerful role in creating social change. At the core of my heart practice is the fight for an inclusive arts cultural.  I like to see myself as a pioneer, as I seek to work in the mainstream arts community.  My work is rarely addressing disability issues and work closely with the Drawing Point Gallery in Ipswich and Aspire Gallery in Brisbane,   I also am part of the Brisbane Rotary International Art Spectular each year and can hold my own in the open art market.

Creating art is the most powerful way I can tell my story to create social change and yet I have to struggle to ensure it is visual in the art landscape of Australia.  I urge all deaf and disable people to tell their stories, in the most powerfully.  But to do it authentically, don't let people hail you as a hero.  Let them see your daily struggles and your pain.  Tell it like it is. 

Thank you to Arts Access Australia for letting me tell my story at the 2020 Meeting Place

Access issues in the digital world

 

Challenges of going digital

There have been a few challengers in building my online presence.

Firstly new platforms to learn to navigate - for my workshops I have been learning to use zoom and photography tips at the same time. 

Teaching on ZOOM!

Technical Studio Set Up - Camera angles and lighting 

 

 Researching and navigating virtual art galleries and choosing the right platform for my artwork.

The right communication for the different people I am working with.

Technology and Access Needs for Deaf and Disable Artists

Stay Turned to see how I meet these challengers!

Going Digital

 

During the pandemic our lives have changed and most of use have been studying, training or working online.  Digital platforms have become the new way to check in with family and friends.  ZOOM, facebook rooms and google meeting, is where we're likely to me these days, rather than at a local shopping center. 

While were home 'saving lives' the state and federal government want to keep the economy going and hopefully growing again soon.  The Queensland Government had some arts grants available as part of its recovery and I successfully applied for one to build my digital skills and presence online.  

My project is called Deb's Digital Den -  most of the action has been happening on FACEBOOK AND ZOOM.

The objectives of the project art too:

• Showcase my artwork online
• Prepare resources for early childhood educators
• Present to Artists Living with disabilities

To date I have been using ZOOM to develop my presentation skills and workshop content.

I have also finished drafting some resources for early childhood educators 

 

Please drop me a line if you'd like more information.