Art & Possibilities: Meet Theresa

Meet Theresa – an exceptionally talented and passionate young woman on a mission to inspire others to follow their dreams, celebrate diversity and inclusivity, and encourage people to embrace their authentic selves.

Discovering Art

When attending college to study art, Theresa discovered a love of sketching. Determined not to allow the physical challenges that come with having Cerebral Palsy stop her, now at the age of 24 she has worked hard to refine her artistic style, set up her own website selling products featuring her artwork, and enjoys spending time sketching animals, buildings, portraits and more.

And it’s not just the satisfaction from the finished piece that keeps Theresa motivated. There are benefits for mental wellbeing, too. She said, “Drawing helps me with my mental health on a day-to-day basis. Despite my physical health, I still always make time to do my artwork, and focusing on my goal of becoming a well-known sketch artist.”

Educating People

You may even recognise Theresa from YouTube, where she currently has over 3000 subscribers. This isn’t just about sharing how she creates her artwork with the world – Theresa is on a mission to educate the world about disabilities and share information and insights they may not know. She wants to give a voice to those who may not feel able, she wants to change societal perceptions of disabilities, and she wants to inspire people to wholeheartedly embrace their talents and pursue their goals.

“I think it is important that we celebrate our talents and achievements, even if we may be worried about what other people might say or do. We should shout about who we are, what we’re good at and what we love to do loud and clear – and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, because we are making ourselves proud.”

A great lesson for us all that, whatever makes you unique shouldn’t be a barrier to having a platform to shine – it’s an opportunity to be celebrated.

Art & Possibilities

In a bid to inspire everyone at Consensus to embrace the power of art, Theresa is working with our creative colleagues to plan a company-wide initiative that will see creativity brought to every service.

The aims? To raise awareness for disabled artists and amplify the voices of people with disabilities, to support mental wellbeing through the medium of art, and to come together as a community to share our achievements and celebrate our successes.

Art & Possibilities will be a project that brings joy, art, and creativity to every day. Starting with an Art Week and leading up to a huge exhibition of phenomenal artwork from across Consensus, this amazing project will set out to break down barriers and to encourage people to enjoy the wonder of art.

Theresa is currently scouting for resident artists who want to support in getting this project rolled out to all areas. “I want people to act on their own dreams, make them come true, and bring them to life, like I am doing with the Arts & Possibilities project. We are all, or can all, be successful people

with aspirations – and this project at Consensus is going to be a great place to start in inspiring people to pursue their passions and having some creative fun, too.”

Amanda Farren, Head of Marketing and Communications at Consensus said “Theresa is phenomenal. Not only is she a hugely talented artist, but her desire to support others to achieve their dreams is inspiring. I am proud to have an opportunity to work alongside her on this project, and support her in bringing some of her many amazing ideas to life within Consensus.”

From intricate paintings to contemporary sketches, we cannot wait to showcase the unlimited potential of disabled artists with pieces of artwork that tells a story of authenticity, resilience and or even just the simple joy of being creative. We cannot wait to share the results with you soon.