Jessica is Blarney person of the month

The February Blarney & District Person of the Month is Jessica Griffin

Talented local artist Jessica Griffin recently launched the first episode of her comic series exploring life with Asperger’s Syndrome.

IMG_9978Jessica, a student at the Cork Life Centre, created the comic series, ‘One Piece Missing: On the Road’, to help people living with asperger’s and others have a greater understanding. Asperger’s is a developmental disorder characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. A meeting with publisher Tracy Sayers of Thomond Comics at a comic convention in 2018, where Jess was selling her art, set this wonderful project in track and within a year Jess was ready to launch her own comic which will be the first issue of an ongoing series about Jess’s life and all that goes with it.

Don O’Leary, Cork Life Centre, speaking at the launch which took place in UCC said, “Jess is a talented artist, animator, illustrator and writer and also a massive comic fan. “She is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a student preparing for Leaving Cert and a massively important part of the Cork Life Centre, an education setting that supports young people to access their education outside the mainstream system. “Among all this Jess is a young person on the autism spectrum diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and an advocate and role model for other young people facing some of the challenges that this can involve.”

Jessica intends that each issue will touch on different aspects of living life as someone with Asperger’s and act as a resource for anyone who is living with Asperger’s as part of their life and for anyone who will be lucky enough to meet and work with them. Part one is currently for sale in Waterstone’s, Patrick Street, Cork and other local outlets or can be ordered directly by email to jessieghdesigns@gmail.com

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