The Inventive Way This Artist Proves His Disability Is No Limitation

Michael Hanrahan is an artist with a painting method you may not have considered before.

Hanrahan, 29, has cerebral palsy. He cannot speak and uses a wheelchair, according to The Telegraph. But the artist has devised inventive ways to surpass his body’s limitations — he uses mops, attaches paint tubes to sticks and fastens paint brushes to his helmet to produce his works of art.

The London-based painter, also known as “Stigy,” gets inspiration from abstract artists like Jackson Pollock and Banksy, according to his website. His subject matter covers a broad range including landscapes, favorite bands, the concept of color and a sport he plays called boccia. He also turns to art when he feels frustrated about the way people perceive his disability.

Social media platforms have helped Hanrahan achieve worldwide success. He started receiving commissions for his work as soon as he began posting pictures of his canvasses on Facebook. He’s since created a website, a Twitter account and an online portfolio. Now, his paintings sell online for hundreds of dollars, and he receives commissions from as far away as Italy and Hong Kong, all thanks to his social media presence.

For Hanrahan, social media has offered more than just a successful career — it’s provided him with a forum to communicate with others and make friends. “It turned my life around,” he told The Telegraph. “[It] turned my social life around.”

To see more of Hanrahan’s paintings and to purchase his work, visit his website and Facebook page.

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