Thanks to kindness and commitment, 24-year-old Jody Hanna has been able to expand her creative abilities.

Born with optic nerve hypoplasia, Hanna is blind.

A stem cell procedure in early 2012, funded in part through community funding, failed to return Hanna91裸聊视频檚 sight, but the irrepressible young woman has found a way to use her fingers to 91裸聊视频渟ee91裸聊视频� her artistic creations come to life at Inclusive Arts on Hudson Avenue.

91裸聊视频淭his is a small business so I couldn91裸聊视频檛 offer employment, but I said if she wants to come in and make things, I91裸聊视频檒l give her a section to sell her stuff,91裸聊视频� says owner Barb Belway of her response to Employment Service Centre job developer Carol Albrecht91裸聊视频檚 request. 91裸聊视频淪he started one day a week for a couple of hours and now comes in twice a week.91裸聊视频�

Hanna has her own little section, with her artist statement on the wall, and sold several items before Christmas.

91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 super outgoing and friendly and likes chatting with people,91裸聊视频� says Belway. 91裸聊视频淗er things are quite beautiful and intricate; she takes a stretch canvas and applies items to create collages 91裸聊视频� very mixed media.91裸聊视频�

Belway says Hanna91裸聊视频檚 creations are dependent on her song of the day.

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91裸聊视频淗er very first one was a tribute to Michael Bubl茅91裸聊视频檚 It91裸聊视频檚 a Beautiful Day,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淪he took beads, buttons and paper. It91裸聊视频檚 very tactile and you91裸聊视频檙e supposed to feel it because it91裸聊视频檚 Jody91裸聊视频檚 expression of it.91裸聊视频�

With clay donated by Belway, Hanna is making her own buttons and beads in colours she chooses.

91裸聊视频淚 ask how does it make you feel? That91裸聊视频檚 the way she chooses, the way she experiences the concept of colour,91裸聊视频� Belway says.

91裸聊视频淲e discuss what would you like the project to feel 91裸聊视频� cool, wintry or hot summery, of sun and the beach? That91裸聊视频檚 kind of how I understand she views colour.91裸聊视频�

Belway encourages people to support Hanna by buying her various creative pieces of work.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not a charity; you91裸聊视频檙e getting something beautiful with a lot of love put into it.91裸聊视频�

The store does not take any of the proceeds from Hanna91裸聊视频檚 work. She takes home 75 per cent of her sales, with the remaining 25 per cent going to the Canadian Institute For the Blind.

For her part, Hanna is happy to report she is no longer bored and, while she likes working with clay, she much prefers her collages.

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91裸聊视频淭hey feel good, textured. There91裸聊视频檚 all sorts of textured things on it, with lines, ridges, stripes, bumps and pom pom balls, puffy bumps, sparkles, grooves and divots,91裸聊视频� she says with enthusiasm. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been staying happy.91裸聊视频�

And that encourages Belway, who says a big part of what she does is to offer a place for people with special needs, who are under-represented, to enjoy creating art.

She has clients from Kindale, Shuswap Association for Community Living and Canadian Mental Health who are having fun and developing self-worth through projects that include painting, working with clay, ceramics, handicrafts and making seasonal objects.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 always something you can do.91裸聊视频�

Albrecht meanwhile, says Belway is helping people with various barriers and giving them 91裸聊视频渙ne more step91裸聊视频� to find employment.

91裸聊视频淯nless you91裸聊视频檝e met Jody and seen her work, it91裸聊视频檚 hard to know all the things she can do,91裸聊视频� Albrecht says, praising Belway for her generosity and willingness to teach Jody new things. 91裸聊视频淏arb is phenomenal, so giving of herself and her talents.91裸聊视频�

Belway, a longtime artist, says she enjoys many aspects of art, including painting, sculpting, stained glass, pottery and drawing.

And anyone can take advantage of the art opportunities available at Inclusive Arts: daytime and evening pottery classes (hand-building and wheel), walk-in ceramic painting, weekly craft/seasonal projects, Kid91裸聊视频檚 Club, daytime classes for home-schooled kids, Saturday morning kid crafting, coffee and colouring with weekly prizes, along with a coffee and tea bar.

Inclusive Arts is also a gift shop featuring products and works by local artisans, pottery made on-site in the studio, art supplies, art colouring books, jewelry and novelties.

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