Hustle Success Story – Faith

Faith, a remarkable individual, defies the odds as a deafblind artist, showcasing an extraordinary passion for colors and art despite life’s challenges. After attending our course Digital Art with Procreate, Faith is now looking to expand her creative journey. In this heartwarming interview, we dive into Faith’s success story in art and her indomitable spirit in the face of adversity.

Hustle Success Story – Faith

My world has always been very dreamy, cloudy and pale.

– Faith

Tell me more about yourself and your life story!

F: Hi, my name is Faith. I am 46-years old and I was born with deafblindness. Actually, I didn’t know about my condition when I was young  because I thought that everyone sees the world in the same way as I do. My world has always been very dreamy, cloudy and pale. I only found out about my vision impairment at the age of 30. In Primary 4, I had a listening comprehension  and I thought that I was being playful when I told the teacher I couldn’t hear. A nurse told me to visit the hospital for a check-up and that was when I found out I have a hearing impairment as well.  Growing up, I have always felt inferior and had no confidence in doing anything. Fortunately, I have found my motivation in God and also discovered my passion for art. 

What made you enrol in our Digital Art with Procreate course?

F: I had a lot of doubts before taking the Digital Art with Procreate course. Others have told me that the course was unsuitable due to my difficulty in differentiating colours. I always had a strong passion for drawing and doodling but never had any formal experience in it. Luckily, my family and church friends were supportive and encouraged me to enrol in an arts course. I contacted my Deaf Association and Kiara were helpful in  recommending me to this course by Hustle. I also decided to take up digital art as I found it more convenient compared to traditional drawing. With the assistance of trainer Shanique and technology, I can zoom into the pixels and color each one individually in Procreate, overcoming the limitations of my tunnel vision and difficulty in differentiating colors.

How was your class experience with Hustle?

F: Very fun! I really enjoyed myself during classes. To be honest, I felt slightly anxious on the first day because I was worried about not being able to cope due to my difficulties. Fortunately, trainer Shanique has been very patient and would often check in with me to know if I’m doing well.  She would guide me personally through the lessons and would take time to go through any questions I may have. Thanks to Shanique, I am able to pick up Procreate from scratch!

What do you like about our trainer Shanique?

 F: Shanique is a really warm and friendly trainer. I vividly remember on my first day when I told her that the pace of the lessons might be too fast for me. Shanique reassured me and encouraged me to check in with her if I had any questions. For one of our projects, I wanted to draw an image from the Bible. Shanique later sent me an image as inspiration for my project. This gave me a revelation as it perfectly encompassed my feelings toward the project. With my vision impairment, I find it difficult to differentiate colours of lighter tones. Shanique then went on to draw out the major colours and their different tones so that I can refer to them. She gave me the confidence to play with colours and look beyond my difficulties.  Throughout my journey, Shanique has been there to guide me step-by-step and I cannot imagine how I would pick up digital art if not for her. 

Hustle Success Story – Faith

What do you plan to do with your new skill after the course?

F: I plan to draw as much as I can before my vision diminishes. I hope to explore the world of art in different forms such as sketching or colouring. I really enjoy art and I hope to draw more works on Christ and God or motivational quotes. I plan to upload my work onto Instagram to encourage and inspire the people around me. Hopefully, I can support myself financially and be independent through my art.