Finding your true passion is one of life’s greatestjoys. At the same time, there are plenty of things that may try to mess with it, but if the spirit is strong enough, there’s nothing that can take it away.
Here is a story precisely about that. A woman who, from a young age, had always loved painting gotparalyzedat the age of 13 and became immobile from the waist down, with the rest of her body losing at least some part of its functionality. Even though she could not use her hands properly, she decided to employ her mouth and continued painting anyway, which soon led to the creation of a business with her sister. Scroll down to read the full story!
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Paralysis undoubtedly makes living more difficult, but it is still entirely possible to enjoy life to the fullest
Image credits:wheelygoodceramics
That might mean a great deal in most sibling relationships, but it’s especially important in this one since, at the age of 13, Emily suffered from a virus that eventually left the lower half of her body immobile while also reducing functionality in some other parts.
But Olivia was not going to simply leave her sister behind just because of herdisability. Instead, she started looking for activities that could involve both of them regardless of their bodies’ functionalities.
She started trying to paint with her mouth instead of her hands but found the process of doing it on paper too daunting
At the same time, Emily has always loved to paint, but the virus’ complications made this process rather difficult for her, making the process of more classicpaintingquite challenging. So, instead, she started learning to do it with her mouth.
Her sister Olivia, who taught herself ceramics, decided to give Emily a new canvas and asked her to try and paint on one of her creations
From there, one thing led to another, and soon, in 2022,Wheely Good Ceramicswas born. Their very first creation was an engagement gift to their eldest sister, and when they opened their online shop, the digital lines started forming in no time.
“Compared to other siblings, they could probably go out or go do sport together. But as me and Emily haven’t got that anymore, it was more so to have something to do together,” said Olivia, talking about how their mutual activity eventually evolved into her dream full-time job.
Things went better than expected, and soon, they opened their own little business that gained a lot of popularity in a really short time
Now, with their business booming, the entrepreneurial sisters figure things out as they go. Having initially priced their products a bit too low for the time and effort that went into making them, their creations were quickly sold out, and some adjustments needed to be made.
“We live in a society where people want cheap stuff quick. Our stuff’s obviously slow-produced. People probably don’t understand the time that goes into things and the talent from Em painting with her mouth, but we’re still finding our way,” shared Olivia, talking about the process.
They hope to keep doing what they do and eventually expand to involve more people with similar experiences in their business
Looking at the future, the sisters hope to expand their business so that they can include other people with similar life experiences. However, at the same time, they plan to keep the process as organic as it is, avoiding mass production, as going that way would most likely ruin the company.
“I think it’s just trying to find a balance of growing it but also keeping the origins of why we started it. We don’t want to lose the magic of what we are doing,” summarized Olivia.
It would be terribly difficult, if not impossible, to find someone who would seriously wish to get a spinal cord injury. It comes with massive change in one’s life, and it’s rarely for the better.
For those in similar situations, the experts suggest not giving up and looking for new hobbies and activities that could work in a similar way painting did for Emily
Getting a spinal cord injury can sometimes be unavoidable, but if you end up in a situation like that, it really doesn’t have to be the end of your life as you know it. For those who had the misfortune of going through something like this,Spinal Cordhas some advice that might just help you regain all those colors in your life that the injury took away:
Ultimately, life brings us many surprises, not all of which are pleasant. But as long as we don’t give up and keep moving forward, there’s nothing that can really stop us. And if the colors around you ever get too bleak, take some inspiration from Emily and Olivia. After all, Emily’s story is a great example of the possibilities if you don’t let your circumstances defeat you.
Thanks! Check out the results:
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