My topic today is an unusual one – TV commercials.

I have to say, this topic is a first for me. I have not been much impressed by most television commercials.  It’s hard for me to even remember them at the end of the day. But, this particular one, well, I’ll be remembering it for a very long time.

Yes! It is that memorable.

How can a SIXTY SECOND commercial make such an impact as the one that aired last night on “The voice”?

Unlike most commercials, this one by COMCAST, did not try to titillate us with sexy dancing girls; seductive  male models;  extravagant beer drinking parties;  sleek, hot, expensive cars; or scrumptious foods sizzling on a pricey grill.

There was just a sweet  little girl  who talked about her favorite movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”  She  glowed with joy as she described in great detail what she SAW  when she watched the movie.   She is delightful as she talks about the world and the characters  she loves in the movie.  Her vivid description  was brilliantly colorful and delightfully  imaginative.

Emily is the little 7 year old blind  girl who SAW  more than most sighted people will ever see. It is because she sees with her inner vision; her imagination; her intuition; her mind’s eye. Some would call this her “third eye.”

I just call this intuitive life,  “Walking by Inner Vision.”  This COMCAST commercial gives a VIEW of the world as I envision it as a blind woman who is an artist.  When I started writing this blog in 2009, it was as a celebration of my own journey into sight loss and my recovery and discoveries that were made possible via technology.  When my physical eyes stopped working in the typical way, I found that my own inner vision was there to fill in the gaps. The art I make now is far more intricate, time intensive, INSPIRED and SENSITIVE  than all the years of art making I did before sight loss.  Without the intuitive and imaginative sensibilities,  art would be quite boring.  Our imagination is the key ingredient to making vibrant art.

Now, to see this wonderful development by COMCAST that enables Emily, and all people with visual disabilities to enjoy the arts and entertainment is truly something to write about! I can say that my own love of the arts has only increased over the years during sight loss, and not a bit diminished. I have a passion for art and the humanities that has always been a part of me and always will be.  Sight loss cannot take away the imagination.

Oh, yes!  Just a SIXTY second AD from Comcast . In such a short time we experienced a little bit of the world of Emily, a 7-year-old girl.  Emily was asked to describe what she sees when she watches her favorite movie – and using that description Comcast built her version. They used puppets and special designers for movie sets.

Comcast developed a “talking guide” that can be used by blind people so they can access what everyone else is seeing.  It was done by Comcast’s Accessibility Lab.  People can listen to the voice descriptions and use one-touch access to closed circuit captions.

I find it to be exciting that a major company has put money and research into making the lives of blind people better.  People with DISABILITIES  love  hearing and watching stories, movies, dance, theater, music, and other forms of entertainment  just as any other group of people.

The arts are for everyone!

To view this wonderful commercial and other videos about Emily’s world you can….

~VISIT~
Emily’s Oz commercial – YouTube:
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-comcast-beautifully-shows-how-7-year-old-girl-who-blind-imagines-wizard-oz-163062

http://www.EmilysOz.com

http://www.comcast.com/emilysoz/
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Walking by Inner Vision Journal – Writing  Assignment #18

I wrote about a particularly enlightening television commercial in my  short essay, above.

Have you watched a good one recently?

* Today, pay attention to the commercials you are viewing during the program breaks.

* While you are watching a one hour television program:

make a list of commercials and take some notes for each of them.

* Select one of the commercials you noted on your list and write a short essay about it.

* Why do you think it is worthy of writing about?

* What did you learn by watching this commercial?

* Did it change your opinion of a particular product?