A blind woodworker’s YouTube channel is drawing attention from the internet due to his stunning creations.
Christopher Fisher, founder of the Blind Wood Turner YouTube channel, lost his sight in 2008 due to a condition called toxoplasmosis.
Incredibly, Fisher learned his trade by listening to YouTube videos.
“I chose woodturning, strangely enough, because I wanted a vampire stake. I’m a huge horror fan, particularly of the vampire genre,” Fisher told the Press Association.
“I wanted a vampire stake, but I didn’t just want to get an old stick out of the garden and whittle the end, I wanted something a bit more stylized and arty than that.”
Thus began a journey which helped Fisher regain his confidence after a tough few years.
“Before I lost my sight, I was very confident. I was a motorcyclist and quite gung-ho,” Fisher said.
“After the first year of being blind, the tables were turned and I suffered with very severe anxiety.”
Thanks to help from the blindness community, Fisher got back on his feet, building his YouTube channel to more than 4,000 subscribers.
Fisher uses a process of “start, stop, listen, touch, feel” to create his works, which include bowls, key rings and candlesticks.
“Obviously I’m listening all the time for auditory cues. There’s good and bad sounds and I’m listening to make sure a piece is balanced, safe, running smoothly,” he said.
“I’ll be able to tell by the interaction between the tool and the wood if there is a flaw in the wood or a crack.”
