Do you know what it’s like to be a creative artist with a hearing loss and be able to get through art school on your own, get published here and there, network with hearing artists and like-minded people in galleries throwing reception parties. . . .and doing digital art on storyboards, comics, flyers, posters and the like.. . .all the while you create and all the while you continue to learn the craft and find a way to find a full-time job in the field. . . .
something is amiss.
You look around and realize that you have not heard of any DEAF creator in the comic book field (and not just for fun but for professional authorship), not heard of any of them in the art exhibitions in your area nor any mention of them interviewed and/or showcased in magazines about their works, and things like that. Where are the deaf people involved in the film industry doing CGI/3-D animation or modelling works? Where are they involved in real advertising or commercial production? Where are they involved in magazine design or photography? I look at Juxtapoz magazine in contemporary/outsider art…where are the DEAF creatives? Are they AFRAID or just not interested?
Or they’re unsure of where to go?
But sometimes I wonder if the lack of deaf creative professionals out there resulted from creative firms/ad agencies or publishers in NOT hiring them out of fear that the deaf person(s) will not have the capacity to translate visuals from popular culture in an abstract point of view? I wonder if there is some discrimination out there towards the deaf that in which hearing people are the preferred choice for being able to take critiques well enough and communicate in the board room and/or discuss things intelligently with art directors?
Can’t companies such as Marvel Comics hire a deaf writer and put him/her in the role of writing a character that share the same disability traits? Or giving the writer a fighting chance to prove himself that he can conjure up stories as effectively as the other scribes can?
So far, one rarity I found is Sara E. She impressed me with her technical wizardry and familiarity with the digital realm and introduced me to her bloggery. Encouraging me to say something concrete and meaningful, I decided to do so. As you probably already know that I, myself, am hard of hearing to the point of being deaf thanks to german measles during birth. I read lips with little difficulty until of course, as age progresses turning it into a challenge.
Art is my secondary language to which I illustrate my stories, views, and interpret what the world may seem according to me and what society sees as well. My goal is to tantallize the sheep into thought and stir them to action. If art cannot move civilization, it has failed humanity and non-existent will civilization be.
Maybe, we are the few and rare deaf individuals who are truly illuminated by reality and the meta-physical realm that reaches us. Are we the evolved deaf OR just the fortunate ones that had the sense to hear some sound early in our lives to expose us to new ideas and things beyond the veil of silent darkness that we all name so crudely. . . .
deafness.
May 13th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
Maybe we’re just the ones unfortunate enough to have not found the Deaf community to fully suit our needs.
“Hearies” that are missing the sense of hearing–sort of like the inverse of the hearing people that are in the Deaf community–Deaf, despite their hearing.
May 13th, 2005 at 10:39 pm
I enjoyed your writing!
How do we know that deaf people are not in those fields already? Have you tried to get jobs doing illustration and not been hired?
May 14th, 2005 at 1:13 am
Donna,
Thank you.
I don’t know if any deaf people are in their respective fields on a full-time capacity making themselves well known. How do I know they’re out there being successful in video-games, film production, animation, etc?
I’ve done illustration for the small press comics industry and have been published ‘here and there’ and am trying to do more of it. I’ve had a booth at a convention before and for some reason, I’m getting the feeling that I’m the ONLY deaf person in the country that’s actually in the field. I don’t know if there are others like me doing freelance illustrations for comics or what not professionally for Marvel Comics, DC, or Image, or any other publishing house.
It’s very competitive out there though and I can see why publishing houses like Marvel would’nt hire a deaf writer out of great concern due to deficiency in grammar skills among most deaf people and yet, they probably don’t realize that the one percent of us CAN do it in a creative way.
It’s really dialogue that may be the bane of most deaf people to render them realistically with quotes and writing in a script format for comics or television/film.
And I’m doing my best to network as much as I can locally to get to know some creatives and hopefully publish a graphic novel or two and or doing some ‘underground’/erotic art for galleries and publications.
I’ve not been discriminated yet nor turned down out of state doing freelance work because they’ve never met me in person, however locally it’s different. It’s much harder to get a graphic design job here because I have to present myself and the portfolio and once they see the hearing aid, would alarms go off? It might but they should’nt concern themselves with how well I can ‘interpret’ their culture but rather LOOK at what I can do and use me because from there, I can turn them around by using what I’ve learned and that I think and see abstractly and I like to use ancient and sacred geometry used by secret societies and or famous philosopher-teachers who, like Pythagoras, designed those mathematical quotients and this system, ie..the Fibonacci Sequence, was adopted by artists to create inspiring works. Antonio Stradivari….the founder of the Stradivarius violin…he used that sense of secret geometry to perfection..the concept of the Golden Mean transferred to his work. Or Leonardo Da Vinci. Or Nicolas Poussin’s Et in Arcadia Ego.
There are many examples of this.
That’s what I seek to use
Because I take my craft seriously.
-Adam
May 14th, 2005 at 1:18 am
So they must be inherently deaf within their own minds limiting themselves, while we push the envelope because we “hear” what’s going on out there. Not just hear but to SEE reality around us.
Perhaps we’re still searching that ‘illuminated’ community.
Could it be that their heads are that hollow?
-Adam
May 26th, 2005 at 9:18 am
I am severe/profound HOH, and fresh (3 yrs) in the Advertising Design industry. I understand your pain because although I’m happy to say that I did get into a tough profession (graphic illustration), the daily challenges are enough for me to scream “ENOUGH!” and get some lame job at the mall.
It’s not pleasant knowing that the only thing that keeps you from climbing in this business is not your skills/portfolio but more of a communication barrier, something hearing people take for granted with ease. I used to think that being a designer wouldn’t require a ton of hearing - boy, was I wrong! Conference calls, group meetings, lunch meetings, I could go on and on…
I’m satisfied with what I’m being paid - it’s enough to cover monthly bills - but when I think of what my designer hearing friends are making now, it makes me cringe and feel shameful that I can’t keep with them on the ladder to success. I know that I have to work twice as hard with my designing capabilities to make up for what I lack in the communication/networking department - just to keep the boss happy. It doesn’t feel fair, but that’s life.
How do I deal? I just remind myself that there’s more to life than how successful I am 9 to 5. As long as I can hold a job in what I love to do, not compare myself to others with the self-reminder that the playing field will never be level - this is enough to make me happy. Does that sound self-defeating? I don’t think so - life is a little different for us, the rules are not made with us in mind.
But honestly, if I ever do become wildly successful, I do not want to be glorified as the “deaf designer.” Maybe that’s why you haven’t heard of many other deaf artists, because they do not advertise that aspect of them - rather they want people to see only their work, not their ears.
May 26th, 2005 at 8:03 pm
To Julie,
Re: 3 years in Advertising Design..I’m impressed, seriously. I have severe hearing loss, myself and do find it a challenge sometimes and I quit recently from my 2nd day job at OfficeMax/CopyMax to which I do NOT recommend that you work for them. Now, I’m keeping my day job at Starbucks for the moment which I’ve had for several years and hope to get a new 2nd job which is at a photographer’s studio who need someones to man the Mac OS X computers and organize his image files..just for 8 hours a week. I’ve seen his place and it’s an awesome loft with studio space. And a lovely model was standing there waiting agog to be shot with her Paris Hilton-eque look.
Again, being able to get into the creative agency yourself is amazing. I still can’t get in and it angers me sometimes. However, I lucked out once doing freelance work making storyboards for a big local advertising firm downtown in Cleveland which they were cool about. That job caught me off guard since it was a turnaround gig.
I’m aware of the necessities to communicate in conference rooms and meetings..after all, someone needs to relay ideas back and forth. I knew this in advance BUT as an illustrator, it’s a lonely job working from the home studio.
That’s why your story about being held back communicative-wise cements my theory about ‘hearing’ firms discriminating against deaf creatives or being unwilling to adapt to their needs to communicate. Ironic of them to be paid to solve communication/visual problems and yet, they can’t carry the willingness to break barriers with the deaf creatives.
Talk about corporate hypocrisy and this is exactly why it needs to be stopped. However, then again..most people like you find it difficult to deal with.
As for this: >
All I care about is to have people see my work, not my ears the moment I walk in the door. If I want a job in the creative field, I don’t want them to look at my hearing aid and go “I’m sorry but we found someone else more compliant and cultured” or something to that effect.
Is’nt that the point of us wanting to be up there? I have nothing against modesty but to NOT mention or even hear about other deaf creatives being really out there doing what they want to do for real is disturbing to me.
I often ask myself, “How can Sara or somewhatsilent.com and/or our virtual community here improve or recommend to create awareness on deaf creative rights? What can be done to encourage deaf artists? Or to prevent discrimination and corporate hypocrisy by art directors?”.
I assume it’s the art directors that are the problem because they’re not used to the hearing-impaired culture knocking on their doors and how to communicate with them or taking advantage of their visual strengths. They are what lies between you and “success”. They are the gate-keepers to what you want in there.
Ironically, I’ve worked with a comic book editor in the small press industry and he had no problems about it and knew I was good enough to get published.
Sometimes I like the internet so they can’t “see” my hearing deficiency, but in public or in person when I network around in art galleries and such, it’s tough to convince them otherwise, of my true capabilities.
June 2nd, 2005 at 7:58 pm
this is the first time i stumble upon these blogs.
wow. a whole new world.
responding to the post: has there been any attempts of perhaps organizing a creative firm that geared specifically for the deaf community? or an organziation of sort to bring the creative deaf community together?
June 2nd, 2005 at 8:14 pm
Hello Dante,
or Dante’s Inferno. J/K.
–responding to the post: has there been any attempts of perhaps organizing a creative firm that geared specifically for the deaf community? or an organziation of sort to bring the creative deaf community together?–
The thought crossed my mind, but I’m still wondering if that’s a healthy approach professionally and would turn off hearing clientele if we try to make it exclusive only for deaf to deaf business. That’s my concern. BUT, it’s not a bad idea though.
The only problem is this…I think I’m the only one here in Cleveland who pursues this kind of work BUT there is another one, a girl who is too busy with 3 jobs and pursuing an acting career and her boyfriend tells her to put off her graphic design endeavors. She’s in her early 20s, mind you.
However, there were attempts to do so by creating a deaf agency that does web design and I think there were 1 or 2 of them in Texas.
I would LIKE to SEE an organization for deaf creatives similar to the Graphics Artist Guild or American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) in that level.
-Adam
June 3rd, 2005 at 9:44 am
adam,
thank you for your thoughtful reply.
hum… i mean its possible to organize in a healthy manner. Having a deaf friendly environment but doesnt mean that its deaf exclusive.
Its interesting that you meantioned an organziation like AIGA, because perhaps as suppose to start a brand new thing, perhaps its possible to start a chapter or branch in AIGA that is specifically deaf friendly. Some place like http://www.eyethfilms.com/ would be an interesting place to start.
I guess its not easy to organize something like that, but number is power in this case. or number is visibility and perhaps would raise conciousness about the deaf creative community.
Anyway just my $ 0,02.
dante
June 4th, 2005 at 12:09 pm
Dante,
Quite true that a deaf friendly agency that can be flexible with the hearing world works so as to not say “Oh, we’re deaf exclusive..F you.” is a bit juvenile, if you will.
Re: AIGA. I’m not a member of that nor any organization…can’t afford them for the moment but would like to someday. However I think something needs to be done because I’m starting to notice that some deaf creatives have difficulty ‘climbing the ladder’ and somewhat suppressed from doing what they REALLY want to do. One aspect is that firms they worked for are unwilling to communicate with them by accomodating their needs via TTY or any digital device. One of them could’nt handle the board-room meetings and such and it was sad to hear her having to ‘back down’ from it and stick with familiar ground without having to deal with the corporate necessities of meeting and organiziing.
Also, art directors need to open up their minds and realize that deaf creatives are as good as their hearing counterparts. I have this strange feeling that most of them (agencies, firms, galleries, publishers) give deaf creatives “the finger”. . .I can’t help it but have this hunch though which is why I’m doing research to make sure that I’m wrong with the theory. If it is the case, then collecting as many testimonials on their part into a book or document to be presented to AIGA or GAG will have to be done in order to change the industry a bit and give it a little ‘kick in the ass’.
Re: eyethfilms..very interesting! Sara would find this fascinating since they’re based at Boston. I’m going to have to reach those guys and find out more about them.
-Adam
June 5th, 2005 at 2:25 pm
Yeah, I always resented that if I were to become very successful at something I’d be “Deaf and successful at something” and not “successful at something”. But then- minorities go through that, women go through that to a large degree, etc. So I figure what the heck.
So far, though, I don’t tend to run into many problems or people that assign too much novelty to my deafness. I think it’s got to do with location. In NYC people tend to just be happy that I can speak English, understand English, and get the work done.
One woman that I was doing a bit of freelance for- who I met for the first time after communicating via email- was actually concerned that I had a cold, and was quite relieved to hear that it was just deafness. (I hadn’t told her as it didn’t come up in the conversation.) Hmmm.. I sense a story that I want to write..
By the way, welcome to somewhatsilent.com hope you’ll consider registering and maybe posting some of your experiences?
June 10th, 2005 at 9:47 am
Wow, my two worlds are colliding - deaf creatives discussing our position in the design industry, this is so refreshing!
In regards to AIGA and the possibility of a deaf chapter, I hate to be the ugly voice of reason it but it could never work. My best friend is the VP for the Detroit chapter and we have a hard enough time getting people together for AIGA events over here. Maybe it’s a Detroit thing (anyone from other cities have different experiences with AIGA?). Then you have the geographical issue - how many deaf creatives are in your area?
However, wouldn’t it be great to organize an annual national conference in a major city / or possibly launch a design contest with ten finalists who have their work showcased in a publication? I said earlier that I don’t want to promote my work under the “deaf designer” stigma, but I’m all about supporting my peers and rallying in numbers.
And Adam, I think you hit the nail on the head about art directors (giving deaf creatives “the finger”). Many of my friends are art directors for big name agencies in this town, and I have come to the conclusion that they all carry the same personality traits that come with the job: insensitive ego-maniacs with only one concern, being on top. I call it a by-product of working a job that requires you to be perpetually aware of hot trends and thought-provoking concepts, on top of making sure you’re wearing the latest Diesel watch or Puma shoes. Lord knows I dated enough of them to know exactly that (just dumped my last art director last weekend, LOL). I’m not saying they have no feelings, but they don’t concern themselves with accommodating people who need a little extra help. Even when a “hearing” designer on their team needs a little help - the art director will drop them like a hot potato and move onto someone else. That’s the nature of the biz. It would have to take a major revolution that change that age-old mentality.
Oy, this is really making me think…
June 10th, 2005 at 12:26 pm
Julie,
Re: refreshing..I try
.
. Basically, it’s not surprising to me that art directors would have such an elitist attitude when working for ‘big name’ firms and think they have the power. They may have the job, but they can never truly be immortalized in galleries or reach the level of recognition or credence such as Art Spiegelman, Mucha, Dore, Schiele, etc.
. What’d he do? Critique the way you had dinner or your cooking? Which firm was the AD from (evil grin)?
Re: Detroit thing..lol, it’s posible..Well, there’s an AIGA chapter in Cleveland where I’m at so I don’t know about the amount of deaf creatives here. So far, I know it’s just me and there’s the other deaf girl but she’s impossible to reach and has a b/f, works 3 jobs, etc. But she’s more into the acting field for deaf performers rather than graphic design..but the latter is hard to determine. Her site is: http://www.amberstanton.com/
I believe I’m the only hearing-impaired artist/designer here BUT there was also a woman in her 50s that I talked to several years back during art school and I think she moved anyways. There also a young ‘hard of hearing’ girl from Texas who went to my art school (she graduated way after me) and majored in sculpture, I think? I don’t know if she’s still around or just moved again. Allison O’Day is her name..just remembered.
Demographically, I think it’s probably less than 2% of us..probably 1% which is me in this entire city of Cleveland.
I understand the idea behind your suggestion of having a contest or some form of national conference to help change things around or improve the situation.
Re: Hitting the nail on the head. It’s what I aim to do
However, not all ADs are like that and can be quite flexible and ‘down to earth’ even coming from an ‘underdog’ design firm. It’s ironic that their insecure egos are fed financially by the trendy market driven by the teenage/young adult market and think they’re the “hot” thing going when they really are’nt.
Re: AD dumped? really?
Re: non-accomodating. It seems to be apparent but it’s hard for me to get evidence of that and the only way to do so is getting testimonials from other deaf creatives and I hope this forum will help spread the word and get more deaf creatives to me so they can share their stories.
And it’s not surprising if a ‘hearing’ designer gets dropped for no reason and personally, the ADs need to have better ethics than that. This is why I think either AIGA or GAG could do something about it by raising the issue, in fact, surveying the design/creative industry to get a better picture of what kind of employees/designers to they bring in and how they work well with the people, etc.
The GAG’s pricing and ethical guideline book is wonderful but I think it needs to touch on new territory regarding work force recruitment and working along with designers in an appropriate manner, even the disabled ones. I believe ADs need to be a bit more accomodating and shed their egos. After all, it’s the shareholders or CEOs that own their asses, not the other way around. Sure, they may have their heads up in the clouds and believe they can “guide” civilization with their trendy visions but a vision is only temporary, such as the iMac by Jonathan Ives..it keeps evolving and does’nt stay static but rather dynamic.
The “deaf designer” stigma is understandable and you don’t want to be treated differently because of that phrase and be shown equal professional respect.
It’s a visual field, NOT auditory (unless you count sound effect/designers for video games, film, etc) but our argument focuses on the visual and motion arts industry.
Revolution? The “Hammer of Lenin” is here and the snobby ADs just don’t know it. And surely, they can’t truly keep up with my rhetoric.
They are the gods that never were.
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