Welcome to Sentivia

Okay, so, thinking back on my journey, it's been incredible to see how people have responded to my work, and especially how they’ve taken my ideas and run with them. Honestly, it’s sometimes surprising, even to me. It's one thing to have a personal transformation through art, but it’s another thing entirely to see it ripple out in these unexpected ways. When we're talking about bizarre or unexpected applications, one thing stands out in particular. It wasn’t necessarily a single person but a particular application of my ideas in the way that people perceived movement.

I originally aimed to change people’s perceptions of wheelchairs, from something associated with pity and limitation to one of joy and freedom. This personal journey manifested by creating artistic statements through my art and the underwater wheelchair, "Portal." I wanted people to see the wheelchair as not just a medical device but as a vehicle of potential. What was fascinating is the way people began to shift their understanding about physical barriers in general.

People didn’t just start thinking differently about wheelchairs. They started looking at how they approached any kind of physical challenge or perceived "limitation" in their own lives. This wasn't something I consciously intended, but it was a remarkable byproduct.

I've seen this shift manifest in different areas. For example, it started with people in the disability community. I'd receive messages from people who had been hesitant to engage with the world, just as I had when I first started using a wheelchair. They started to see my art and the underwater wheelchair, “Portal” as a symbol of breaking free from restrictions. It was like a permission slip. The message was no longer "what can't I do?" but "what *can* I do?" This in itself was powerful, but it became quite unexpected as it branched outside the disability community.

I was approached by a group of urban planners. I had no idea what this was going to lead to. They were intrigued by my work around challenging preconceptions. They explained they wanted to rethink public spaces, not as places designed to minimize limitations, but places designed to *maximize* potential. They said my art had made them realize they were designing for limitations, not possibilities, by focusing on ramps and grab rails which was a functional yet limited perspective. They said my work forced them to ask themselves, “What could public spaces look like if they weren’t just about accessibility, but about adventure and joy for everyone?”.

They took this new perspective and started including elements inspired by my approach. They began to use art installations and interactive elements, specifically focused on dynamic and imaginative design rather than just functional design. They weren't simply creating accessible spaces; they were creating exciting, engaging environments that challenged everyone to think about the space in a new way.

They explained that my idea of “Portal” – pushing through into a new level of consciousness and possibilities – became their guiding principle. They didn't create spaces that simply catered to people with disabilities; they created spaces that invited everyone to move, explore, and engage with the environment in more creative ways. That was wild.

It was an entirely different field from my personal experience, yet my central concept resonated. It became less about wheelchairs or even physical limitations and more about challenging preconceived notions and embracing new perspectives. They told me that what was most important was the idea of using the familiar as an entry point to think about the unfamiliar, just like putting the scuba gear on a wheelchair.

This whole idea of a portal or the idea of using the familiar to view the unfamiliar, has completely taken off. This is an unexpected outcome that really shows the reach that art can have when it’s driven by a deeply personal message. And that’s where it’s really been most unexpected and bizarre but also incredibly rewarding. It’s been a fantastic journey!