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[29 Sep 2007|07:06pm] |
I really don't know how to start one of these things. I mean, obviously I'm supposed to talk about myself but the first thing everyone notices about me is not the first thing I feel like talking about here. So I guess I'll start at the beginning.
I'm Adrian Lewis Manwell and I am 23 years old, born on September 17. 1984. I'm the youngest of three boys, and I was more than a little spoiled as a child because of that. Well at least, by my parents and grandparents anyway. Of course, my older brothers kept me from being a complete brat about it - they weren't afraid to lay me out if I needed it. There's really not much to be said about my childhood as it was...pretty much the textbook definition of "normal." Well, if you don't count the fact that I wasn't the boy you'd see outside until dusk playing games with my friends. I was more the guy who sat under a tree and drew the boys playing games. My brothers made up for me though. They both played football in high school and then at college. One of them is actually playing for the Tennessee Titans right now.
My family has lived in New Orleans my entire life and, even post-Katrina, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. That might be because this place is my comfort zone and I'm not ready to try somewhere new. But I really think it's just because New Orleans is home. I'm a die-hard Saints fan...except when they play the Titans (which, of course, is because blood is thicker than a favorite team). When it was time to pick a college, Tulane was the first school I even thought of. My second pick? Loyola University of New Orleans. Luckily for me, I got into my first choice school and I never looked back.
I majored in Studio Art, and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree last December. I had an extra semester in there, and contrary to popular belief, it had nothing to do with the hurricane that tried to destroy our city. At the beginning of my Sophomore year, I decided to pledge Zeta Psi, and that was when my entire life changed. We were partying during Rush Week and one of the brothers asked us to go on a liquor run. It didn't matter that we weren't of age - it was a test of our loyalty and of our ability to "fit in" with the fraternity as a whole. I can't really call it hazing, it was more like a dare. But giving it a title doesn't change what happened. I was in the passenger seat, another guy named Mike was driving. I'm going to say now that I was not sober and that my memories of that night are limited at best. One minute we were talking and laughing, the next, I was waking up in a hospital bed with absolutely no idea of how I got there.
According to the doctors and the police reports, Mike crossed the median and hit another car head-on. The people in that car survived with relatively minor injuries, thank goodness. We weren't so lucky. Bryan, who was in the backseat, ended up being fine, with the exception of whiplash and bumps and bruises. Mike was killed instantly. I ended up somewhere in the middle, literally. My T-11 and T-12 vertebrae were broken in the accident, and at first, no one was sure what that meant for me. Paraplegia, definitely, but the extent of it was unknown. I consider myself extremely blessed now, considering the alternatives I could have had. I have complete control of literally everything but my legs. The amazing part is I even have feeling in my legs! With braces and crutches I can walk for some distances, but it's really taxing. I have no problems being in my wheelchair, at least, not anymore. And just in case anyone is wondering, Zeta Psi is no longer a recognized fraternity at Tulane University, effective February 6, 2004. I hold no animosity toward them for what happened. We had free will to say no. But I can't say I shed a tear when Tulane made their decision either. That may make me an asshole, but that's the truth of the matter.
Art is my life and my passion. The fact that my injury will never keep me from achieving my goal of being a professional artist and owning my own studio is something that I'm grateful for every single day. Painting is probably my favorite art medium, but drawing is close behind. Sculpture is much more of a challenge, but I've gotten a lot of things modified to make it easier for me...lower tables and all of that. I just applied to graduate school at Tulane to get my Masters of Fine Arts so I can further hone my painting skills. I'm excited about furthering my education, and spending time in the studios that I made my home while I was an undergrad.
So, that's me in a nutshell. Want to know more? Artist Adrian is the place to find me.
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