On my last blog, I’ve mentioned that I’ve been suffering from creative block, and that I needed new things to explore and new learnings to discover.
Last Friday, 21 February 2020, I was in Benilde to claim my certificate of completion to a class I’ve attended last year. While waiting for lunch break to be over, I incidentally met my previous Web professor, and she invited to attend this program, that she spearheads, on PWDs. I’ve had the privilege to sit in a class of PWDs.
The activity for the day was to shoot a place/person/event/art that would best describe them/their thoughts/feelings. But before they got to share their photos, they had a guest who told her story when she was still starting in the advertising industry. She mentioned that she met a woman with an autistic child, she let the child use her camera and the child took a photo of his foot, to their surprise he intends to shoot the Koi Fish in the Koi pond because he wanted to show the colorful fishes.
She immediately says: “These people with autism have different point of view, it’s just a matter of understanding them.” She says to the child to dream big, and when you’ve reached your dream, ask yourself what’s my next big dream.
She then starts a photography club for the visually impaired children, Photography beyond sight, they conduct workshops and seminars for these children. She also started a Non-profit organization, a photography club for the PWDs, Photography with a difference, with the same advocacy but on a larger audience the PWDs.
When it was time for these PWDs to present their photos, I was in awe. Their photos were good. it’s one of those moments that you will stop and ask yourself, why didn’t I thought of that? Those were their photos, and I couldn’t stop my tears from piling in my eyes because I was inspired by these PWDs. Their condition didn’t stop them from taking good photos.
But what is the purpose of this, anyway? My professor introduced this program to Benilde because it is very close to her heart, because of her son, this was her advocacy. She wants to start a spark to these PWDs so that they won’t hesitate in pursuing their passion. And that they are limitless, they can do whatever they want to do, to be enablers of the society.
It was a very productive day. I guess you can say that this is the spark that I’ve been wanting and waiting.
I’ve come to realize that I need to do something outside work, I need to do something productive and meaningful: an advocacy. You may say that there’s a lot of advocacies I can join out there, yes – there’s a number, but I need to find that’s close to my heart. And may be next time, I’m in front of those PWDs mentoring and coaching them on design. Well, we’ll never know. But I’m excited to sit in again in that class!