About Us

A Stroke of Creativity™ is my gift to my wife Patty.
On December 5, 2008, at the age of 43, she suffered a stroke while driving home from work. During her recovery, a
wonderful occupational therapist handed her a paintbrush and told her to paint. Patty had never "painted" anything in
her life, but, to her surprise, found that she not only loved painting, she was pretty good at it. Soon she was painting
anything in our home that she could get her hands on. She very quickly turned our dining room in to her unofficial art
studio. Painting became a way for Patty to feel good about herself again. It brought her peace and happiness, and the
more that people enjoyed her work, the better she felt. Soon Patty was noticing that her creative juices were
overflowing! She was writing poetry and verses, working in fused glass, and wanting to help 'solve' everyone's creative
dilemmas!

On the same day as Patty's stroke, I became a member of a very large group of fellow Americans, the ungainfully
unemployed. My company had gone through a major downsizing and I was part of it. Looking back now, I recognize
this was truly part of God's plan for me and my family. I was able to be home to care for my wife and our children. The
last year and a half has brought us much closer together.

Since I had been unable to find work in my previous profession, and Patty is unable to return to the world of Special
Education due to her stroke-related disabilities, I decided to open my own business. With the help and guidance of our
dear friends Mike & Joan, we decided I would open a paint your own ceramics studio. But that was not big enough for
Patty's vision. She needed it to be a creativity studio, where people could come and participate in many different
creative endeavors. So, she gave me the name, A Stroke of Creativity, and told me to find a place big enough to do all
the things that she wants to do. Her one absolute requirement was that the location must be handicapped accessible.

A Stroke of Creativity™ is not just a place where you can come and paint pottery or create a masterpiece. It is our
vision that it will be a place to make connections. We see A Stroke of Creativity™ as a place for people who have hit
life's speed bumps to come together and share experiences, struggles, success and resources, all while enjoying the
opportunity to explore their creative side. Our background puts us in a unique position to be able to create a
welcoming and supportive environment for adults and children. We are the parents of 4 children, 3 who are diagnosed
with Asperger syndrome, Tourette syndrome and related disorders. Additionally, Patty holds both her BA and MA in
Special Education. Prior to her stroke, she was employed as an Inclusion Facilitator and LDTC for a local school district.
She has worked for years to help teachersimprove their ability to best meet the needs of ALL learners. We are very much
looking forward to hosting special events for children and families who are dealing with Asperger's Syndrome, Autism
Spectrum Disorders, Tourette Syndrome, ADD, Anxiety Disorders, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, � whatever
makes you or your child a little more special.

Besides reaching out to children and families, it is very important to us to reach out to members of the community
under the age of 65 who have suffered Strokes and TIAs. Patty and I know all too well that not only the reasons for
recovery, but the demands during recovery, are quite different than for those who are more advanced in age. On
September 12, 2010, Patty suffered her second stroke in less than two years. We were very fortunate that, this time, she
received t-PA. One of her missions is to share her experience and resources with others, so they can know that a stroke
need not be a dead-end, just a detour. Please email patty directly at patty@astrokeofcreativity.com if you are interested
in being part of a young stroke survivor group. This invitation includes those in this same age group who are recovering
from a Traumatic Brain Injury. As Patty puts it, we may have gotten to where we are differently, but many of our
experiences and struggles are the same. Let's support each other.

In addition to our open studio times, we will be offering classes and holding events that we hope you will join us for.
Please check our calendar often for updates. Join our mailing list so we can keep you informed.