Paul Smith was born with severe spastic cerebral palsy, which results in the loss of fine motor control in his hands, making it impossible for him to perform the most basics of tasks. That didn’t stop him from becoming a world renowned artist though, using nothing but a typewriter. Beginning when he was just a teenager, Smith started working with the typewriter to create art, and slowly refined his technique until he was able to create real masterpieces. His left hand was used to steady the right and he would lock the “Shift” key to create most of his works with the symbols “@ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _”. Spending 2-3 hours pe day typing, each one of his artworks would take him anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. Continue reading for an 11-minute video detailing more of his life and beautiful artwork.
Oddity Central reports, “Unfortunately, as he aged, Paul Smith’s cataracts worsened and prevented him from exercising his artistic skill at the fullest of his abilities, and he stopped making typewriter art in 2004. He died on June 24, 2007, at the Rose Haven Nursing Center in Roseburg, Oregon, but left behind an impressive portfolio of typewriter art, and most importantly the inspiration that you can overcome anything in life, if you put your mind to it.”
