MORUYA/SYDNEY

I was set to work with Brendan Hackett in Moruya, but circumstances changed and we ended up working in Sydney instead for one week in November.

Brendan had been hit by a car as he walked home one evening after a night out in Moruya when he was only 18. He nearly died 3 times on the way to hospital. As a result, he has a brain injury and is an amputee above the knee on both legs and the tops of his fingers on both hands.

Now in his early 30’s, Brendan tries very hard to do things for himself as much as he can. He is very frank and open about his disability, having a spinal and brain injury.

Brendan told me that when he was still in hospital he came up with the idea of anthropomorphising his brain injury. He invented two characters - The 2 forces that distract him. He calls them Dulgni (representing his brain problems) and Ulock (representing his distraction). Another character he calls Storm acts as his protector.

I found this to be a fascinating and really practical strategy - He can let out his frustrations at these characters, rather than at himself or anyone else.

Thanks Brendan for a great workshop experience!