In honor of Monday morning and with the intention of staying focused on that which is positive and inspiring in challenging times, I decided to post the art of Paul Smith–an artist with severe cerebral palsy who used his typewriter to create pictures.

This story warms my heart.

(Taken from his bio) Paul was born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921 with severe cerebral palsy.

Not only had Paul beaten the odds of a life with spastic cerebral palsy, a disability that impeded his speech & mobility but also taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific chess player even after being devoid of a formal education as a child.

When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one.

Because he couldn’t press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the Shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other words, his pictures were based on these characters … @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ .

Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He often gave the originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he kept or received a copy for his own records.

As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble pencil or charcoal drawings.

With much humility and a charming, self-depreciating sense of humor, he became a man who excelled at making the lives of those around him much richer.

This great man passed away on June 25, 2007, but left behind a collection of his amazing artwork that will be an inspiration for many, including me.

For more on Paul Smith and his typewriter art, visit The Paul Smith Foundation (.org).