Member Spotlight: Nicole Demos Turns to Creativity For Healing
Nicole is smiling, wearing a green sweater and glasses, and holding her black toy poodle (Sisu). Courtesy of Nicole
“It has taken me 52 years to accept and fully embrace my [disabled] identity…. My depression served as a deep wound of trauma, disappointment, and feeling [unworthy]. However, I can finally breathe as I have found my calling and my voice. I feel empowered.”
As a child in Greece, Nicole Levina-Maria Demos (she/her) experienced unrecognizable symptoms that her parents were determined to understand. In their quest for a diagnosis, they took her to doctors across the globe, which eventually led her to learn six languages. Eventually, at two years old, Nicole was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. She was also later diagnosed with arthritis and depression.. She believes these were just additional logs added to the burning flames.
Despite the challenges of pain and other obstacles Nicole recognizes her own strength and resilience. With self-care and living life proudly and authentically, Nicole has found healing. Nicole has been an educator for over thirty years and loves to channel her creative energy into unique spaces like cooking, baking, singing, and reading. You can also find Nicole attending concerts, the opera, and the ballet. She even hopes to find an accessible choir to join.. She loves to connect with loved ones and her toy poodle, Sisu. She has turned her hardships into art, most recently publishing poems in Harness Magazine. She is steadfast in her writing on topics of disability and her lived traumatic experiences. This year, Nicole was honored to be nominated for the 2024 D-30 Impact List.
To read Nicole’s poetry:
Acknowledgement: Thank you Nicole, a member of the Diversability Leadership Collective, for sharing your experiences.