How traumatic brain injury from 30-foot camera boom transformed lawyer into creative genius
Brain injuries are no laughing matter, but while most leave patients with debilitating and lifelong after-effects, others can find rare positives from potential tragedy. Does anyone remember the episode of The Simpsons where Homer became a genius because he got a crayon lodged up his nose?
While this isn't quite another case of The Simpsons predicting the future, there's a bizarre story of how one man became a creative genius after being struck on the head by a 30-foot camera boom.
There have been some particular peculiar side effects from brain injuries, like the man who could no longer see faces and mistook his wife's head for a hat, the British woman who developed a Chinese accent, or the harrowing 'Cotard's delusion' where someone might think they're dead.
Zack D. Films has a new simulation, charting the story of someone being hit on the head with a camera boom, noticing a few days later that he couldn't speak or read. To help heal his brain, doctors suggested he take up art therapy.
Even though he'd never painted before, the man apparently became obsessed and was creating hundreds of works by painting up to 20 hours a day. The video explains how the human mind usually 'blocks' overly detailed information, but as the brain injury disabled it, he was able to see incredible detail and transfer this onto the canvas.
Advert
Becoming a world-famous painter, you might be fascinated to know the real story behind the man featured in the simulation.
That man is Patrick Fagerberg, who in 2011, suffered a life-altering brain injury that meant he had to stop his career as a self-confessed 'hotshot attorney'.
While attending an Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) concert at the South by Southwest festival, Fagerberg was struck by the 400-pound camera boom and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Days after the accident, Fagerberg was showing symptoms like 'raccoon eyes' and was bleeding from his ears. He was quickly found to be suffering from a basilar skull fracture and diagnosed with TBI, before attending physical, cognitive, and speech therapy for the next 18 months.
During one of the cognitive sessions, the therapist suggested he start art therapy, and a switch was flicked.
Discussing his love of art with KHOU News, Fagerberg explained: "A little trigger went off and I became hooked. It became a compulsion. I see everything sort of in composition, so everywhere I look it’s a painting."
Inspired by Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch's 'The Scream', Fagerberg was introduced to art critic and gallery owner Ronald Gremillion. It wasn't long before he was given his first show and was well on the way to being a professional artist.
First showcasing his monochrome and enamel work at his 2015 exhibit called 'Embracing the Sublime', he already had hundreds of works under his belt.
These days, Fagerberg is referred to as a rare modern example of Savant Syndrome, where someone suddenly develops expert skills in a creative industry.