Hayden Timmings

Diagnosed with SLDs at age eight, Hayden is skilled at adapting to his circumstances. “I’ve just done it all my life.” he says. “If I need to do something slightly differently to make it happen, I just do it. Creative thinking and problem solving come naturally to me.”

That attitude has seen the 24-year-old Timaru local embark on a career as an artist after successfully graduating from Ara Institute of Canterbury with a New Zealand Diploma in Digital Media and Design.

Hayden has always been passionate about art but at high school he was discouraged and eventually prevented from taking art-related subjects due to his visual impairment. Undeterred, after finishing school he explored the option of digital design at Ara. “My eyesight dictated that it was a method I could use, due to the ability to work up close and zoom in extra close on the computer screen,” he says.

Hayden says he didn’t need extra tools or resources to succeed in his studies at Ara “but what my tutors did do was to be understanding and allow me extensions where my sight significantly impacted on my ability to meet a tight deadline”.

He adds that the theory part of the course was “hugely challenging” for him and he initially resisted it. His tutors spent a lot of time supporting him through those concepts, for which he’s grateful. “That level of support was new to me,” he says. “It certainly wasn’t something I was offered in high school.”

With new design skills and a broader understanding of the theory of art under his belt, Hayden’s own art has evolved. “Before undertaking the diploma my art lacked any depth of understanding around lots of important historical references. Now it’s matured, become refined and is far better informed.”