[stylist] Art is God's Voice

Mon Feb 13 18:52:51 UTC 2012

Dear Linda,
I am so glad that you answered me in such detail. Your life story both
before and after blindness is fascinating and inspiring. When someone shares
the detail of the transition, I think we all learn something more about
ourselves.
The part of your story I relate to the most is the part of being a visual
learner, and the difficulty of transitioning to having to live in the
auditory modality.
There are so many other similarities.
I know that all members on the list will be enheartened by your story, and
how you came to grips with that steep learning curve.
When I get through this mountain of new e-mails, I will try to send you a
few poems, the first I wrote using JAWS and the most difficult I have ever
attemped using the computer. A day does not go by without learning some
little new detail that makes it a bit easier.
With respect and gratitude for sharing.
Jackie

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 7:16 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Art is God's Voice

Good Morning Jackie,
thanks for your comments on my poem (in a separate email) and on my website.

I agree with the comments that I need to change the last thought in the 
poem, as some others have suggested. I am THINKING about it.
You know how that is - things just stick in your mind until you know what to

do next. I was in that state of mind all night long, as I was thinking about

making pottery today, and thinking about HOW I would do it. Going over and 
over the process in my subconscious mind - maddening! lol

My website and blogs:
I had very extensive knowlege about how to do websites and blogs BEFORE 
sight loss. I had two blogs and have had this website for many years. (I am 
a former professor of Fine Arts and Humanities, at Geneva College, Beaver 
Falls, PA)

I had two other blogs before this one. I wrote about one of my passions, 
knitting. I did it for relaxation and to share information/patterns/finished

projects on the blogs.
It was a nice getaway from my professional life -

My website? I have been an actively exhibiting fine artist for well over 35 
years. The website was where I shared images of my paintings, wood cut 
prints, upcoming show information, and my travel/study trips to Europe every

summer. The website was a recruiting tool for that program. I lived in the 
Alps in austria every summer until 2008 (I lost my sight in the fall of 
2007). I took college students to Austria for a month every summer. While 
there I worked in my art studio in a village outside of Salzburg. I taught 
classes every morning Monday - Thursday until noon. Our class worked in the 
studio, and each day we took trips all over the area and did writing and art

at a different location every day. On weekends, I took the students to a 
different country - Italy for the Redintore Festival every year in July. 
Czech Republic, where we visited small villages and of course, Prague. 
Germany, many many places in Germany including Hamburg, Luneburg, Munich, 
and more.

This is how I knew HOW to make a website - through marketing my own art and 
my Drawing and Writing in Salzburg courses.

When I lost my sight - overnight - I was completely LOST. For five months I 
really sat in a chair and listened to Public Radio as I did not know how to 
do anyting at all. My husband brought me books on CDs from the local 
library - I was completely LOST and no one knew what to do with me.  It took

five months of very hard work to learn that there was such a thing as rehab 
for blind people - and finally, after an existance that was meaningless, I 
got to go to a rehab center in Pittsburgh.

There, I learned that I could do things again. But the realization that I 
had in an instant gone from teaching and lecturing on a very high level, and

had plunged to a level that was less than kindergarden became very clear to 
me. You were so right about the LEARNING CURVE - it is the steepest learning

curve I have ever experienced, just to begin to live again and do the most 
basic things. I was at the center for 15 weeks, and did very well. I still 
had no computer skills, and that took another year or two for me to begin to

work on the computer again...It was two years before I could start that blog

that you saw. And, I can now post things on my website, do photos, and list 
exhibitions as I need to have them there.

Everything about me and my life was VISUAL. I am a visual learner, a visual 
thinker, and a visual person. I still am! Sight loss has greatly altered how

I see things, but it still has to be visual for me to "get it." My weakest 
area was always learning anything through listening. Even when I attended a 
lecture, or read a book, I had a pencil in my hand and I was writing - 
making it all VISUAL.  I still have to find ways to make what I hear into an

image in my mind - so I can remember it or learn new things. That will not 
change - it is my core. For me, a poem is first a visual work of art. It has

form, shape, and organization. And, each poetry book is a work of art, first

of all. I collect books by Contemporary poets, especially American poets. My

library walls are filled with books of contemporary poetry - and in my mind 
it is fine art. It is visual both in appearance and when we listen to the 
words. I am crazy about post modern poetry and literature - I used to teach 
it at the college.

Well, I did not know I would write such a long post, but you asked, so I 
answered. After all, I am used to doing lectures so I LILKE to  discuss 
things of interest.  lol
Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jacqueline Williams" <jackieleepoet at cox.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 1:15 AM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Art is God's Voice

> Linda,
> What an inspiring website. Who helped you with your website? It is hard to
> imagine accomplishing this with  no or low vision.   I would say that you
> are a     speed-learner.
> Are you familiar with Reiki? Just thinking about how beautiful the symbols
> would be if done in beading. Though they are not made available to an
> untrained practitioner.
> Jackie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 9:24 AM
> To: Zgal at Zoominternet.net
> Subject: [stylist] Art is God's Voice
>
> Hi Friends,
> Just published a new blog article this morning.
> You might enjoy it.
>
> http://walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com/2012/02/art-is-gods-voice.html
>
> We are getting some nice snow here this morning. It is so refreshing. Bob
> and I walked through the woods along the creek this morning - such a
> beautiful day!
>
> Lynda
>
>
> Lynda Lambert
> 104 River Road
> Ellwood City, PA 16117
>
> 724 758 4979
>
> My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
> My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com
>
>
>
>
>
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