Does Parkinson's spark creativity?

I have been in contact with many fellow sufferers, most of whom seem to have adopted a new hobby or skill, some paint, others write, and there are a few I've come across who do the most amazing woodwork. It's almost as if Parkinson's takes away some of our abilities forcing us to make a change in career or lifestyle, often leading to some kind of occupational therapy that is creative by nature.

I have a friend who has Parkinson's and she gathers unwanted old wooden toys or broken furniture, and either restores them to their former glory giving them a new lease on life, or with great imagination and skill transforms the wood into something new and wonderful. I love the idea of recycling and giving life to something old or broken. She manages to work a couple of hours in her studio each day and has created some astounding beautiful handiwork. The picture here is one of the Dragonflies that Jackie has created. If you look closely, you may be able to see what she has made them from. Brightly coloured Dragonflies have been attached to the fences of her local school, transforming an ordinary fence into a cheery wall of art.

A man who's 27 year career as a pilot suddenly came to a grinding halt due to being diagnosed with Parkinson's was advised by his neurologist to turn his hands to some hobby to retain the fine motor skills in his hands . He made his garage into a workshop calling his business "Wood Wackers" and is now producing amazingly beautiful furniture, and smaller items for the home. Take a look at his website to hear his story and see the remarkable woodwork he produces.