Meet Paul Smith.

He’s has cerebral palsy. But he doesn’t let his limited mobility stop him from making amazing artwork.

And you’ll never guess how he does it. At least not without taking a close look at those portraits and landscapes. See the # sign in the Mona Lisa’s face?

What I love about this man’s story is how creativity keeps him going. His life is proof of the old phrase, “restriction is the mother of creativity.” He can’t hold a pen or pencil, but he can press a key on a typewriter and with just a handful of keys he has been able to “paint” portraits, scenes from his memories and all kinds of beautiful images.

But the man himself is even more awe inspiring. His spirit is indomitable, as is his cheer and good nature. He keeps painting with his typewriter and bringing joy to everyone he knows. And when people say to him, “I could never make something like that,” he simply responds with, “What can you do?”

We can all do something, even when we may feel very limited ourselves. But just like Paul, all we really need to do is realize that limitations really don’t have to hold us back. They can just as easily become springboards for creativity and inspiration. Life is about overcoming, embrace the challenges, rise to the occasion and we can all create something beautiful, just like Paul.

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Relephant read:

The Best Athlete you’ve Never Heard of. {Video} 

Author: Kathryn Muyskens

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: video still