I'm on a mission to get my hands on a bottle of #Buckfast. Who can help an American out?
| Pronouns | They/them |
Farrah Garland
- 0 Followers
- 45 Following
- 36 Posts
photographer ⬛
model me! 😁
www.fkgarland.com
www.farrahgarland.com
model me! 😁
www.fkgarland.com
www.farrahgarland.com
Dr. Martin Luther King said, "As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free.” I feel like working through our #InternalizedAbleism is part of setting the mind free. It's an ongoing process, & no one ever truly arrives. I'm still working on it, for sure! I've been helped along in my journey by so many wonderful disabled people, & I'm so grateful. So, I'm paying it forward to my community by trying to be an example of a bold, proud, fearless, take-no-shit disabled human.
This can present as hiding/ #masking #disability, fear of using #MobilityAids at all or in public, shame about taking medications, self-loathing, believing you and other disabled folk are actually "faking" or "lazy," and even lashing out at other disabled and #ChronicallyIll folk who are doing what they need to care for themselves or who are living their best lives. Or a million other things!
I exist to dismantle that negativity & highlight how beautiful disabled people are, what an important part of society we are, & to shine a light on every single #ableist shadow out there!
Part of this process, the very first part I think, is unraveling internalized ableism, which is the shame we as disabled folx feel for being who we are. This is something we have picked up from society, and it's toxic as fuck!
#DisabilityPride is fucking baller. I love it so much! As you probably know, I do a lot of artwork that features my own #disabled body & highlights my disability, whether it's using my mobility aids, or leaning into my weird hypermobility (thanks #EhlersDanlosSyndrome!).
I do this not only bc I LOVE making art, but bc we are under-represented in art & media, when we ARE represented it's often by abled folk vs disabled people, & there is still a whole lot of disability stigma floating around
SamThank you so much for the warm welcome! I'm blown away and so touched y'all like my work 😊
Here's a portrait study I painted last year. Something more loose to relax. It's fun just letting the brush go and see what happens. :)
3. Community!!! Disabled folk are more often cut off from society and from one another. It's harder for us to go and do, so we exist quite often in isolation. Disability Pride is an opportunity to connect, see, and be seen with others like us! It's a rarified and beautiful thing.
I'm gonna take some time this month to do some education about various disability stuff. Stay tuned! And thanks for reading ♿️🖤
Photo: @/zuppshots (ig)
Crutches: Mobility Designed
Model: me! @/f.k.garland (ig)
2. Pride isn't always something disabled folk feel about ourselves. We have had to battle through loads of internalized ableism bestowed upon us by an ableist society, we deal with inaccessibility and often pushback or even aggression when requesting basic accommodation. We get stared at, touched without consent, treated like furniture. So taking the time to lean into the beauty, diversity, and value of the multifaceted thing that is disability isn't only good, it's vital!
1. It is important that we continue to be seen, make our voices heard, instead of being hidden away. I can't tell you how many people tell me I'm the only disabled person they know. I assure you, that's not true. Just not all disabilities look the same and general awareness is lacking.