Losing Sight, Finding Direction

Post op - successful or not the smile is masking my real thoughts.

In January 2023, I realised something wasn’t right with my vision. When I covered my left eye and looked ahead, there was nothing—just black. It was terrifying.

After an emergency appointment with the optician, I was told I had a hole in the lens of my eye.

My first question, surprisingly, was, “What have I done to cause this?”
Thankfully, the answer was: nothing. No one really knows why this happens—genetics, age, maybe even excessive eye rubbing—but there was no clear reason. All I knew was that I couldn’t see through one eye.

I was frightened I might never regain my sight. Thankfully, I was able to have surgery. Recovery wasn’t easy—I spent a week lying on my stomach, followed by three more weeks before my next eye test. I was nervous about the outcome, but the result was a success. Not perfect, but about 95%—and I was incredibly grateful.

Later that year, just as I thought everything had settled, I began to notice problems again—this time while driving at night. Headlights turned into chandeliers, my depth perception felt off, and even something as simple as looking for items on a supermarket shelf made me feel disoriented, almost seasick.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It turned out to be a cataract—likely the result of years spent in the tropics without proper eye protection, and only wearing good-quality sunglasses much later in life.

The thought of losing my sight, even partially, sharpened everything for me. It made me stop and think.

Hope they have marked the correct eye!

Before all of this, I had already begun to rekindle my art practice—and I was loving it. I even had some small successes, which felt both exciting and surreal. The idea that I might not be able to continue became an unspoken fear, always sitting quietly in the background.

When I finally got the all-clear after the cataract operation and a new prescription for my glasses, something shifted. I thought, quite simply: sod it.

I’ve always wanted to pursue being an artist—whatever that means—and to see where it might take me. So that’s what I’ve decided to do.

It makes me wonder why it so often takes a setback, a shock, or a moment of fear to push us into action. Why does it take something going wrong to make us say, “Right—this is it. I’m going for it”?

I’ve chosen to follow my passion. I don’t know exactly where it will lead, but I do know this: I’m happy. I’m learning every day. I’m solving problems, meeting people, and pushing past the boundaries I once set for myself.

And for now, that feels like more than enough.