A new kind of vision

I would like to introduce you to a remarkable man. He is a true example of what it means to find a gift from a crisis.

I met Ken Kimball several years ago through my friend Jason. The three of us sat down to talk one day and I immediately felt a kinship with Ken – we were interested in a lot of the same things and he spoke very knowledgeably and passionately.  I knew that, given the opportunity, we’d probably become good friends.  That was the only day we ever sat down and really talked.

A few months later Jason told me that Ken had collapsed with a brain aneurysm. Miraculously, he had collapsed in a place where he began to receive medical help almost immediately. I didn’t see Ken for a while, but I kept tabs on his recovery through friends.

And then something astonishing happened – he started creating art unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

Before his aneurysm, Ken was an artist. He made his living for a while doing caricature portraits. When he emerged from the hospital post-aneurysm, he struggled with persistent double vision.

You could look at the fact that Ken was an artist who could no longer reliably practice his former trade and say, “What God gives with one hand He takes away with the other.”  Or you could do what Ken did – start creating double vision portraits.

I remember the reaction I had the first time I saw one of these portraits – I was floored.  Absolutely stunned.  This is some of the most awe-inspiring art I’ve ever seen.  And it wouldn’t have happened without the intervention of an aneurysm.

If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is.

I ran into Ken today while I was doing errands.  Being in his presence, even for a few moments, makes me happy.  He radiates joy.  I was having a kind of crappy morning and it was a miracle to run into him.  It’s an even bigger miracle to have him in my world.

Mark my words – this man is going to be famous any day now.  How could he not be?

Here’s the link to Ken’s website: www.explorepotential.com

Thanks Ken – you inspire me to keep pushing forward. Maybe some day we’ll sit down for that longer conversation. 🙂