Sixth Circle: Place of Darkness by Richard~Michael Owens (2012)

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Description Monochrome, Acrylic Painting circa January 2012.

Richard~Michael Owens, Andorra, Philadelphia
Member Since August 2012
Artist Statement Richard Michael was transformed
into an artist by a rare condition, Acquired Savant
Syndrome. Richard developed this condition while in
recovery from a massive and nearly fatal concussion
received from being struck by an 18 wheel truck.
Scientist’s do not understand how it happens, but the
trauma to his brain somehow caused his nervous
system to "rewire" the neural net. Upon recovering he
was strangely, uncharacteristically compelled to draw
or "doodle" as it was known then.

Slowly as weeks passed, it became evident that much
had changed with his character as well. A career
executive chef for 30 years, his love of foods vanished,
as did his love of watching lm and television. is
fully realized couch potato had a burning need to start
creating and that creating led from doodles to sketches
to watercolor painting, acrylics, sculpting & creating
works with "found" items.

Desperately trying to discover what was going on
within himself, an Internet search held no answer.
Continuous hunting on the web revealed one man’s
name over & over. Darold Treffert, a noted Wisconsin
Psychiatrist was working with and reporting about
people with "Sudden Savant Syndrome" where aer
brain trauma these folks "awoke" with incredible talent
in a specic area not know prior. Was that it? Was this
the answer?

After contacting Treffert and sharing his experiences,
Richard learned that this did in fact happen to him as a
result of his concussion. He then learned that there
was not a network of support where he could go to get
help dealing with all this new information. He was
beginning to feel powerless, compulsive and thought
he may go insane. He and Treert then decided that
Richard would start that support network, a Facebook
Group. It would help others who, in the future, were
determined to have this. It would be somewhere they
could go where people not only understood what was
happening, but had developed real-world strategies
in coping with such awesome and vast change. It
was meant for the loved ones, spouses, family and
co-workers as well.

Today that group has a handful of Acquired Savants
who regularly contribute as well as a modest network
of family and friends who continue to learn while
waiting for the next person to show up and ask "Am I
going insane? I'm frightened and do not know where
to turn.”