Tag Archives: art in berlin

Live-drawing Stella Ahangi and The Walk of Glam!

Stella Ahangi by Suzanne Forbes July 19 2021I made it to the Walk of Glam at last!

A wonderful event from Stella Ahangi, called The Walk of Glam, always starts right near our place. I had been looking forward to attending it since I met Stella in early 2020.

I didn’t do any walking though! I simply convened where the walkers met. I did some warm-up drawings, and then Stella arrived in her fabulous attire.

The Walk of Glam is open to everyone, and all ages do attend, but many of the walkers are in the 60-plus and fabulous category! So lovely to see seniors dressed up and celebrating themselves. Sir Henry de Winter was there, in tailcoat with peaked lapels!

Walk of Glam ladies seated outside Cafe Einstein by Suzanne Forbes July 18 2021The Walkers meet at Cafe Einstein on Weitzstrasse.

Here you can see two Walkers seated outside the cafe. These ladies had such elegant hats! I dressed up a bit myself, the most dressed up I’d been since Feb 2020!

photographer at Walk of Glam by Suzanne Forbes August 28 2021This is one of the photographers, Baron Ralph Joachim.

Find him here! I made another drawing and I’m working on finishing it 🙂

I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue making art as a Covid-vulnerable disabled person. With your support, I can work from home or safely outside and keep telling the stories of Berlin.

My Fantasy Wheelchair, Part 2!

My Fantasy Wheelchair Version 2 by Suzanne Forbes July 6 2021This is the wheelchair I need for the goth club.

And the picnic in the park, and the life drawing salon in the old mansion with no elevator. Rideable, stair-climbing wheelchairs are an absolutely necessary part of the future.

Probably this one should have a cup holder for the disgusting Red Bull (tastes like carcinogenic Gummi Bears! and I always get the diet kind cause it tastes even worse!) that I like to drink when I draw at a nightclub.

My Fantasy Wheelchair by Suzanne Forbes June 20 2021 detail 1Since it’s Disability Pride Month, I thought I’d share some info on my personal disability sich, at this moment.

Several loved ones have asked, what exactly is my disability deal?

I’m an out disabled person, and you can always ask me about my limitations and conditions. But that applies to me only, just this one disabled person who is me 🙂

Well, official diagnoses: Hashimoto’s disease, asthma, C-PTSD, PTSD, OCD, lifelong severe depression (in total remission the last eight years!!), a rare circadian rhythm disorder called DSPS, “medical obesity” and bum knees. Unofficial: crippling fatigue, dizziness, vertigo and a fair amount of muscular pain, caused by some kind of ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, ME or lupus. Working on that diagnosis situation.

But what really makes my daily life challenging?  Dynamic Disability, a term coined by Brianne Benness on twitter. Benness is also creator of the NEISVoid, a vibrant disability community formed around the NEISVoid hashtag. You can read/hear voices from the Void on NoEndInSight.co. and support Brianne’s Void work on Patreon.

What Dynamic Disability means is that my capacity to function fluctuates.

I have good days and bad days, and sometimes both in batches. On the bad days, I sleep 20 hours. On the good days, I can unload the dishwasher and load the washer, the same day.

And work on art!!!

No matter what my condition is physically, I am fine spiritually and usually pretty good mentally, in the eight years since my remission from depression began.

The disability community has given me a way to understand and accept my limitations.

My Patrons on Patreon have given me a way to work and keep working in ways that are safe and manageable for me. I look forward to increased mobility and support as assistive technology develops. Fantasy wheelchair version one is here.

I’m glad to be alive and happy to be here, Disabled and Proud!

I am incredibly grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue making art as a disabled person.