How Dyslexia Changed My Life For The Better.

I never knew I had Dyslexia until I was told by a lecturer at my University at the age of 23. When i was told a sense of relief and happiness came over me as throughout my schooling years up until then I was told that I was stupid and put into all the bottom sets of the class. I was mostly ignored in Primary school with teachers thinking that I was lazy and not intelligent. I won an art competition when I was 8 which gave me a glimmer of hope that I was good at something at last.

I think having Dyslexia and not knowing it caused a lot of self esteem issues and my confidence was very low. I was bullied and had no friends which made the situation for learning very stressful and difficult. I then went onto secondary school where I was in the bottom set for everything other than the art and design subjects. I was mixed in with all the disruptive children and was bullied throughout some of my lessons which made learning even more harder.

When I pasted all my Art and Design A level subjects with 3 straight A’s it was a changing point in my life. I got to choose which of my subjects that I wanted to study and I was supported by the teachers who taught them.

From that point on I felt as though I actually had something to offer the world and my self worth rose. When I was told I was dyslexic at 23 I realised in that moment that I was not stupid and I wasn’t lazy and I wasn’t good for nothing. I was a very creative person who learns in a different way. Due to this I have been successful in my business. For me, having dyslexia means that I think outside the box and have a different way of approaching things. I think it has really added value to not only my business, but to me as a person. If I was to choose for it to be taken away, I would say no as it has shaped me and made me into the person I am today which i am proud of.

If it was not for the Art and Design subjects in my schooling years, I know that I would have left school feeling isolated, defeated and hopeless about life.

If you or a child you know has dyslexia, make sure you tell yourself or them that it is an extra gift that needs to be valued and nurtured. Only in the acceptance of it can we learn to use it to our advantage.

If you would like any 1-1 classes or would like some more information about my Dyslexic story to help others, please contact me as nobody should feel alone in their learning.

My 365 Day Painting Challenge!

Have you ever set yourself a goal or challenge and failed? Or…..you had set yourself a challenge and succeeded! If you really think about it, was it the goal or the challenge that was the biggest pay off or was it the journey as much as the goal? For me it was more the journey to the goal! It was the mind set and the overall feeling of knowing that I was working towards an end that made me feel motivated and inspired.

When you set yourself a goal or challenge, you not only have something to show at the end of it, but you build up that motivation, the mindset and the skillset to apply the dedication in other areas of your life. Much like going to the gym, you need to build your muscle and taking a course or giving yourself a challenge for a day, week, month or year helps build the mind to tackle other things in your life.

When I started my challenge, I actually wasn’t sure I could do it. I felt very concerned that I wouldn’t get the time, but as the days went on and I painted a piece of artwork each day, I got quicker and I got more and more confident. I then felt a big increase in my self esteem which meant I tendered for more projects that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do before and to I learnt to say yes to offers of works regarding large murals and huge creative tasks. I not only could produce work quicker for clients, but I became more skilled and confident in my art work which lead to other areas of my life becoming more and more inspired.

I ENDED UP SELLING THEM IN SHOPS AND TURNING THEM INTO GREETING CARDS

Even on those days when I didn’t want to paint anything, pushing myself to do it, even if it wasn’t that great a result, it was worth the effort as at the end of the year I had learnt so much about myself.

That I can trust myself. I can believe in myself and I can achieve what I set out to do.

I NOW USE THEM IN MY ART CHANNEL WHICH HELPS PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY ALSO CAN PRODUCE

Set a challenge for yourself today. Maybe it is a week of getting up early or a month of going to the gym. It could be a course you sign up to, ignoring the fear that you wont be any good!

The results from taking a risk and setting yourself up for success, transforms your life as there is no such thing as failure if you think about it as everything tried is something we learn from!

Come join me for an Accountability class for £3.00 and see how you feel after you’ve set yourself a goal or challenge and smashed it in that hour!

Have a wonderful day and let me know how you get on.

Love Emmylou xxx