By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on November 22, 2018
ALBANY’S Naomi Lake lives by the motto ‘anything is possible’.
Determined to not let her Down Syndrome prevent her from living life, Ms Lake has strived to give everything her best shot and has the results to prove her success.
She’ll be at this year’s Albany Ability Festival on December 5 to showcase her work.
The 28-year-old published her own book in 2014 and toured it more than 4000km across the state last year.
The book, Harmony the Forgetful Hen and the Lost Eggs, was inspired by a few cluckas she spotted one morning, and it allowed her to pursue her writing dream.
“Ever since high school, I’ve wanted to be an author,” she said.
“When I saw the chickens, I could see the characters and that’s where I saw Harmony.”
Ms Lake said she was excited to see her story in a tangible format once it was published, and in celebration, she created a real life Harmony and her baby chicks.
She sewed them from scratch and made a couple of Harmony replicas too, which she’ll sell at the Albany Ability Festival along with copies of her book and Christmas stockings and aprons she’s made.
“Perfect for presents,” Ms Lake smiled.
Festival coordinator Denise Kay said more than 10 other market stallholders will join Ms Lake in the Albany Town Square for the event and encouraged everyone to come down and have a look.
“The ethos is about bringing the whole community together and showing peoples’ abilities,” she said.
“Everyone can do anything.”
Ms Kay said other market stalls would include sculptures, crafts, handmade cards, paintings and jewellery.
Live entertainment will be provided by Emily O’Brien and Connor Menezies from Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company’s Let’s Shine production, the Spencer Park Education Support Centre choir, Terry McKintosh and Highland Hustle among many other acts between 10am and 2pm.
