SCABs

‘Blind Art Director?’ by @KJJMeek

Blind Art Director?

By Kenny Meek

 

Hello ladies and gentlemen.

 

I was pondering what I should write about. The stress of SCA? Living in London? Diversity?

 

Nah. I reckon I should give y’all some insight on what it’s like to be me. Kenny – a dude who became an art director despite not being able to see very well.

 

Some back story.

 

From birth I’ve been partially sighted. A genetic disorder has rendered my vision, well… terrible. I won’t get into details, so to cut a long story short – I can’t see anything past the top letter on one of those eye-doctor-charty-things.

 

To quote the dean: ‘Kenny’s never going to be flying a jet fighter’.

 

He’s right. I’m not. Thank fuck. You don’t want me behind something that involves hand eye coordination, that’s for sure. Be it a bike, car, jet or even a guitar hero controller, I have as much depth perception as a flight mid nose dive.

 

So why art direction?

 

I have no idea. It just sort of clicke.. I like making pretty things (pretty as far as I’m aware), and putting ideas behind those things seemed like a logical step.

 

When you talk about the fact that you don’t see very well, it raises a few questions.

 

How does that work?

 

How do you do it?

 

How many fingers am I holding up?

 

My answers?

 

It just does I guess.

 

I manage just fine, and with the zooming technology out there, I cope pretty well.

 

I’m not a circus monkey.

 

Jokes aside, I feel like having a disability that alters your perspective often gives you a new one. At least that’s been my experience. When I see an advert I don’t look at what it’s saying, but rather how it’s saying it from a visual point of view. I don’t see body copy, I see some blurry lines. I don’t see people, I see shapes. How those lines and shapes come together determines my view of the ad. That’s a weird way of handling things, but it works for me.

 

And that’s the way it should work for anyone, I hope.

 

If you have a disability that you fear will get in the way, embrace it. See how it can help rather than hinder. Own it and enjoy it. I know it’s annoying at times and it can get in the way, but in life things often do. I’d rather make those annoyances advantages than get angry about it.
Stay classy.

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