Transformando Cicatrices en Arte | David Morales Gutiérrez. | TEDxElGuereo

David Morales (Washi)

• David Morales, known as Washi, was born with Retinosis Pigmentosa, a rare eye condition leading to blindness.
• Despite his visual impairment, he developed a passion for music and poetry, which helped him cope with challenges.
• He pursued music education, emphasizing the importance of education and perseverance for success.
• David highlights the difficulties visually impaired individuals face in Bolivia, including inaccessible infrastructure and lack of support.
• He shares personal experiences of bullying, abuse, and social isolation due to his condition, leading to anger and resentment.
• David discusses the impact of sexual abuse from his brother, compounding his emotional struggles and contributing to negative views towards the LGBTQ+ community.
• He acknowledges past wrongdoings and expresses a desire for personal growth and change.

Speaker's Personal Struggles and Transformation

• The speaker describes past struggles with anger and violence, including attempting to murder friends and pushing a friend off a ledge.
• They realized they were becoming a monster and felt worthless and unlovable.
• During a concert in Santa Cruz, they felt God's presence and experienced a change.
• They began to develop empathy and realized they were not worthless.
• They started helping people and working on overcoming their homophobia.
• They now use their experiences to help others and raise awareness about mental health.

Advice for Overcoming Challenges

• The speaker encourages others to talk about their problems and seek help, offering three tips: talk about your problems, seek professional help, and don't give up.
• They emphasize the importance of listening to others without judgment or trying to solve their problems.
• They encourage people to keep trying even when they fail, using personal struggles with pornography and self-esteem as examples.
• They suggest seeking help from God and sharing one's problems with others.
• The speaker acknowledges that life can be difficult and that people may feel like they are in a crisis, but he encourages them to keep fighting and not give up.
• They conclude by emphasizing the importance of listening, trying again, and seeking help when facing challenges.