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🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Art 'like medicine' for accountant turned artist after brain injury

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Artist Cheryl Blacklock finds art to be "like medicine" after acquiring a brain injury from surgery in 2019.
  • The former accountant says art helps calm her brain, which struggles with processing information post-surgery.
  • Blacklock has embraced a new identity as an artist, finding her talents have increased significantly since her injury.

In a serene backyard studio, artist Cheryl Blacklock meticulously brings an abstract portrait to life, her hand moving with practiced instinct. This creative space has become a sanctuary for Blacklock, offering calm and refuge following a significant acquired brain injury.

At the start of my recovery the art was like an addiction … if I didn't do art every day, it was a bad day

— Cheryl BlacklockDescribing the essential role art plays in her daily life and recovery.

Diagnosed with brain aneurysms and a rare arterial disease, Blacklock underwent critical brain surgery in 2019. A hemorrhage during the procedure at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle led to a lengthy recovery and lasting effects from her acquired brain injury (ABI).

Previously a dedicated accountant, a career central to her identity, Blacklock's life changed dramatically. Her ability to process information, make decisions, and handle tasks like reading forms became significantly impaired. She recounts an incident where she mistakenly told a client they were receiving a $10,000 refund instead of owing it, a mistake that led to tears.

It makes my brain completely stop and calm and not try and decipher all the messages around me.

— Cheryl BlacklockExplaining how art provides mental relief and focus.

During her recovery, Blacklock felt an undeniable pull towards art, a passion she had set aside for a more "stable" career. "I hadn't touched a paintbrush or pencil for decades prior to my surgery," she shared. Now, the 62-year-old from Bonny Hills on the NSW Mid North Coast sees art as essential to her well-being, stating, "the art was like an addiction… if I didn't do art every day, it was a bad day."

I had to have brain surgery to clip the aneurysms, because of imminent danger

— Cheryl BlacklockRecounting the medical necessity for her surgery.

Having resigned from her accounting career, Blacklock now devotes herself full-time to her art, participating in exhibitions and competitions. She observes that her artistic abilities have flourished since her surgery, leading her in directions she never anticipated. "It's like my brain is going, 'I can't do that anymore, I don't want to do that anymore, I want to do this,'" she explained, embracing her new identity as an artist.

I sat at my computer and started crying.

— Cheryl BlacklockDescribing the emotional impact of cognitive difficulties post-surgery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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