Hi! My name is Desiree, but my friends call me Desi.
I am a mother of three beautiful kids.
I am Deaf.
I am fluent in ASL (American Sign Language), but I also speak English.
I have two dogs a Siberian husky and a German shepherd
Hobbies: collecting vintage cameras, macrame, cross- stitching, drawing, writing stories, reading.
What I see
While I may not hear, my eyes work. I see so much beauty all around me. That is why I am a photographer - and artist. I wish you could see my perspective and how I see beauty. I try to capture all I see when I draw, paint, or take pictures. In keeping with being an artist, I also took ballet until I was in my late twenties.
Food Obsessions
My husband is an amazing cook, my favorite food he makes are Tacos, spaghetti, hobo, homemade chicken alfredo. my go to eat out is sushi and pad thai. I am obsessed with Chick-Fil-A and their frosted lemonade.
Books too, of course!
I love to read. I try to read as much as I can, but being a full-time mom often limits my free-time. When I can, I sneak in reading time for myself. And if I'm not reading for myself, I am reading to my children - both in English and in ASL.
What kinds of books do I like? I love to read all genres, but mostly romance and fantasy
And while I often create stories in my mind, I have a harder time verbalizing and writing them down (Keri is more of the writer). Instead, I use my hands in a different way - not writing or typing, but rather, through sign language.
So, I am an ASL storyteller.
Plus, I secretly write poetry. Though it is not so secret now as we will be posting some of the ASL poetry I've made on the blog.
And as I mentioned before, I am a photographer. Sometimes when I pick up my camera, I take pictures. Other times, I use it to make films. Which leads me to my next thing: I am a movie and T.V. nerd. I will never turn down a movie night with popcorn and candy.
What kinds of movies do I like? Musicals - Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera, and The Greatest show are my top favorites. I love the "old-time" movies as well; it is why I’m fascinated with the Victorian era and the 1920s-40s - mostly for its jewelry and fashion. It was also something I did with my mom - we watched black and white films together.
Identity
Growing up, I identified myself as Deaf. I had access to Deaf programs during the summer as well as after school programs that included learning ASL and Speech therapy.
Even though I had access to the Deaf world and often socialized with my Deaf peers, I was mainstreamed - I went to a public hearing school. In school, I was lucky. Since there were a few other Deaf/HOH students, the school provided ASL interpreters and our accessibility needs were met.
So, even though I knew I was Deaf, and grew up knowing about the rich culture and had access to my language, it took me a long time to really understand who I was and what my purpose as a Deaf person.
Now, I know who I am and what I identify as - Deaf.
What do I do?
Since I wanted to share my perspective on the world through my photos, I studied art at college. I even had a photography internship to shadow a local photographer. From taking acting, theatre and filming classes to script writing classes, I learned that my dream had changed.
I didn't just want to be a photographer, I wanted to be a director - to be part of the filming industry. That was my calling.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any luck finding a job related to filming.
So, I took odd jobs here and there - from framing to digital restoration to nannying to earn money for my future dream. Eventually I found an internship for a filming business. I was a crew member and did everything from set design to director assistant to script supervisor. I even had some acting jobs here and there.
Then, once again, my dream changed. I got married and had kids. Now, I am a stay home mom, an ASL instructor, and a book reviewer. I focus on books that are written by Deaf or Hard of Hearing authors, or books that has a Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind characters. Growing up, i love to read and I could never find a character that was like me. Deaf. I am so happy now that Deaf representation is finally showing in Movies, tv shows, and now books! So i hope you join me on this journey as i talk about Deaf culture, Deaf experiences, what's happening in the Deaf community and of course, books!
So this is me - it's nice to meet you.
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