Healing Thru Expression..... A Story of Starting Over
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Hello and welcome to my site, dedicated to the use of PhotoArt as a healing tool for my brain injury. The aim is to share my journey of recovery and hopefully inspire others with brain injuries (or other life altering illness) to find their creative voice and soar with it!! Brain injury recovery has many faces. I am not ashamed to admit I have experienced the highs and rock bottom. Its ok, that is part of the journey and I am comfortable sharing the ride if it helps someone in my situation. |
I've had 12 moderate to severe concussions since 1990. Five of which rendered me unconscious, one of the five was in a pool. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, auditory and visual processing disorders, cognitive, memory and processing deficits. This combination of symptoms keeps me from driving at this time. The loss of freedom sucks!! Especially as a single dad. I moved back into my childhood home in 2012 to begin my rehabilitation. I spent a year in physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as seeing a therapist for PTSD weekly.
My work is dedicated to my son Caden. He inspires me to laugh, to care and feel the love in the world around me. My hope is that when Caden is old enough, he will look at my work and be inspired.....be reminded that his dad did not give up....he kept striving to be a better person. My online gallery at imagekind.com displays my work and a written description of each piece and how it relates to my journey both past and present. Those descriptions are a piece of my soul that accompany the piece, so I hope you appreciate the openness as much as the art ...
Along with displaying and selling my art on this site, I have included some state and local resource links I found helpful during my journey. I am located in Cary, North Carolina so these resources are regional. If you are a brain injury survivor, family member or caregiver, outside this area, I encourage you to find similar resources. It will make life a lot easier so you can focus on recovery. Additionally, I am looking at starting a free healing arts program in the triangle area. Please contact me If you have any suggestions/ideas, are interested in participating or volunteering your talents.
All the best!!
Jim Dukes
Cell: 704.840.9008
email: jjdphoto2art@gmail.com