We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nichol Norman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nichol, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I’m passionate about inclusion for children with disabilities- well, for all disabled people really. Recently, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book to help young kids, learn a little sign language, in a fun way, so they can communicate with more people. I was motivated by my daughter, Audrey- she is outgoing and social, and also has severe Apraxia. Apraxia is a neurological condition that makes it difficult for her to speak words clearly. She was taught basic ASL to help her communicate, but the kids in her kindergarten class did not understand her signing. So the children’s book I wrote, was really for her class -to help them have fun learning a few basic signs, and to further the goal of inclusion. The class loved it! Then I decided to publish my book “Emily meets Rocky” and make it available on Amazon so more people might have access to it as a resource. I am thrilled to say the book has now been translated into an Italian version and German and Spanish translations are coming soon. Profits were donated to Apraxia-kids.org, a nonprofit organization that offers education and resources on Apraxia that I am delighted to support.
Nichol, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve been both an artist and a caregiver for most of my adult life. My first real job was assisting, disabled individuals with In-Home Care, a very challenging and rewarding profession. On my days off, I studied art and animation at a local tech school. Eventually school led to a job at a video game studio. I worked at several studios on a dozen different titles for over a decade. It was fun but long hours, 12 hours a day during what the studio calls “crunch time“ were common. In 2011 I gave birth to my daughter and took a break from the industry to raise her.At age 2, she was diagnosed with autism with her Apraxia diagnosis a few years later. Advocating for her, and getting therapeutic services was really a full-time job. I continue drawing and painting, mostly pursuing my own projects at that time. Not until I decided to merge both interest( art and advocacy)and publish my book to help children with Apraxia and their families, did I really throw myself headlong back into creative pursuits. I’ve branched out to creating murals, face painting, and puppet performances- all ways I can serve the community while expressing myself creatively too. Finding ways to be creatively of service is my greatest joy!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to create empathy and communication through the joyful connection of play. The world needs more playfulness. Creative play shouldn’t be just for elementary children but for everyone. It is a shift in attitude that is difficult at first because as adults we have often forgot how to be playful. It helps us be more resilient during hard times. Playfulness helps us experience life with a more open mind and positive attitude.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I enjoy problem solving. If there’s a difficult task or situation, how can it be improved? How can I be of service? What can I create and with whom so that the situation becomes more resolved? Answering those questions by physically creating something tangible, is supremely fulfilling.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nnormanart/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nicholnorman
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-U9QmZLgAs
- Other: https://a.co/d/4T2XXwm https://www.instagram.com/oddarkcole/