I never knew I had Dyslexia until I was told by a lecturer at my University at the age of 23. When i was told a sense of relief and happiness came over me as throughout my schooling years up until then I was told that I was stupid and put into all the bottom sets of the class. I was mostly ignored in Primary school with teachers thinking that I was lazy and not intelligent. I won an art competition when I was 8 which gave me a glimmer of hope that I was good at something at last.
I think having Dyslexia and not knowing it caused a lot of self esteem issues and my confidence was very low. I was bullied and had no friends which made the situation for learning very stressful and difficult. I then went onto secondary school where I was in the bottom set for everything other than the art and design subjects. I was mixed in with all the disruptive children and was bullied throughout some of my lessons which made learning even more harder.
When I pasted all my Art and Design A level subjects with 3 straight A’s it was a changing point in my life. I got to choose which of my subjects that I wanted to study and I was supported by the teachers who taught them.
From that point on I felt as though I actually had something to offer the world and my self worth rose. When I was told I was dyslexic at 23 I realised in that moment that I was not stupid and I wasn’t lazy and I wasn’t good for nothing. I was a very creative person who learns in a different way. Due to this I have been successful in my business. For me, having dyslexia means that I think outside the box and have a different way of approaching things. I think it has really added value to not only my business, but to me as a person. If I was to choose for it to be taken away, I would say no as it has shaped me and made me into the person I am today which i am proud of.
If it was not for the Art and Design subjects in my schooling years, I know that I would have left school feeling isolated, defeated and hopeless about life.
If you or a child you know has dyslexia, make sure you tell yourself or them that it is an extra gift that needs to be valued and nurtured. Only in the acceptance of it can we learn to use it to our advantage.
If you would like any 1-1 classes or would like some more information about my Dyslexic story to help others, please contact me as nobody should feel alone in their learning.