About

Hi! – Welcome to my blog!

I’m Julie Clawson – a mom, a writer, a crafter, a wanderer, and a geek trying to figure out this wonderful thing called life.

 I am also disabled.

I have a limb difference of my lower left arm, Marfan’s Syndrome, Scoliosis (with multiple fusions), POTS, and my left leg has nerve damage from a surgery (read the full story here). Being an ambulatory wheelchair user is fairly new to me and I am still getting used to learning to rely on my mobility aids when they are needed and overcoming my internalized ablism that prevented me from accepting such aids and resulted in me withdrawing from life for a few years.

I want to be in the world doing the things I love (like travel!) with the people I love. This blog is my chronicle of figuring that out and my motivation to push myself to live a fully embodied life. I am still learning – learning how to navigate the world with mobility aids, how to take care of my body and not push myself past the breaking point, and how to accept who I am now without getting caught up in who I used to be. I am honored by you joining me on my journey.

I know all disabilities are different. And I know how we talk about disability may be different. I write about my experience and what I am learning about how to navigate the world with my particular disabilities. I hope the things I share can help others, perhaps take some of the research burden off of you, but I know what works for me will not work for everyone and I will try to be aware of that. I humbly ask for your feedback and to let me know how to make my reports and reviews more helpful to a wider range of people!

As you can tell, I love to travel. I want to experience the world – to be surrounded by the stories of history, immerse myself in other cultures, and learn from the variety of perspectives this world has to offer. I like trying new foods, understanding different patterns of living, and seeing both the beauty and the pain of the world. Our lives are stories and the world is a vast library to be explored.

I also love stories in many forms. I’ve always been an avid reader and these days consume a lot of fantasy novels. I enjoy good stories told in TV and movies. I act out stories in role playing games and other board games. And I enjoy immersive experiences (and dressing up) at Comic Cons and Ren Faires.  

I also deeply care about justice and ending oppression in all its forms. I fully embrace the term woke and hold empathy as the highest virtue. I believe caring about other people and speaking up for the downtrodden and oppressed should be all of our calling. Much of my writing has focused on these themes of justice – especially on the intersection of justice, spirituality, and culture. As I learn more about disability through my own experience, I hope to write more on justice and disability as well.

I currently live in (and grew up in) Austin, Texas (the weird yet sane dot in the middle of Texas) with my kids and my cats. 

Thank you for joining me as I learn to turn aside to embrace living life fully with my disabilities.

 

 Any inquiries about speaking, writing, or reviews please send to turningasideblog@gmail.com

 

If you would like to thank me for my writing and send support my way feel free to shop at my craft sites –

Shieldmaiden Designs – silver and gold jewelry

The Rogue Shieldmaiden – witty accessories for the Ren Faire and life

 

Or send a gift through Venmo

Thank you and may you find exciting (accessible) adventures!