COMMENT ON FACEBOOK

Foundational quote for image generation:

“I always say that you can’t be successful in life unless you’re uncomfortable.  The comfort’s on the other side of that. You have to put yourself in those uncomfortable situations which is nearly every day for me. But you get to that comfort and then you find that next level of discomfort. And then go from there.“

This image shows a lone BMX rider moving through an oversized dirt racetrack. The track is built from steep jumps, deep channels, and repeated rises and drops that feel much larger than the rider himself. The scale is important. The rider appears small inside this huge, sculpted course, which makes the terrain feel even more demanding and unpredictable.

The image reflects Mike’s drive to rise to the challenge of BMX racing while visually impaired. The oversized track becomes a visual symbol of discomfort, risk, and difficulty. But the rider is not turning away from it. He is moving directly through it. That connects to Mike’s belief that growth comes from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and then pushing toward the next level. The piece captures his courage, discipline, and desire to keep challenging himself, even when the course ahead is bigger, harder, and more uncertain than most people can imagine.

COMMENT ON FACEBOOK

Foundational quote for image generation:

“It’s hard for me to call myself blind because I think when we call ourselves blind, that’s what gives the misconception to the sighted, because in their heads when they hear blind, it means you see nothing, and they’re not wrong.  I don’t like, “blindness is a spectrum” because it’s not blindness.  It’s sight, sight is the spectrum.”

This image shows a bold, graphic eye made from layered bands of color. The eye is set against a vivid red background. Inside the eye, concentric circles and arcs move through a full range of colors, including yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, and black. The design is clean, flat, and symbolic, almost like a poster or emblem.

The eye is bold and iconic, with complexity coming from bands of color, shadow and darkness. The image does not show sight as one single thing. It shows it as layered, varied, and distributed across a range. The central black iris  anchors the image, while the surrounding colors expand outward, creating a visual spectrum within the form of the eye itself.

The image connects to Mike’s statement that blindness is not the spectrum, sight is. This is a direct challenge to the way many sighted people understand blindness. The piece refuses the idea that blindness means one fixed experience or a total absence of vision. Instead, it reframes sight as something complex and individual. The eye becomes a symbol not of perfect vision, but of variation. The image makes Mike’s point visually clear: the spectrum belongs to sight, and people’s experiences of vision cannot be reduced to a single assumption.

COMMENT ON FACEBOOK

Foundational quote for image generation:

“Wet floor signs, beware! There’s yellow plastic ones, terrible wooden ones and metal. I’ve seen metal ones and many lands.  They should be avoided at all costs. And that’s where I come in. When I am the TubiakManiak, I use my super strength and heightened senses with my super cane to be able to handle any obstacle or any wet floor sign that comes my way!  Fear not! Trust in your cane. Your cane will always be your superpower.”

This image comes directly from Mike’s comic book work, illustrated by Doug Knight. It shows the TubiakManiak in full superhero action. He charges forward through the frame with a cape flying behind him, his body angled in motion, and his cane extended like a powerful tool. A wet floor sign is being struck or shattered, and the scene is filled with speed lines, bold shapes, comic book lettering, and explosive energy. The word “SHWAK” appears large in the background, emphasizing the impact.

The style is bright, kinetic, and exaggerated in the best comic book tradition. The character feels fearless and larger than life. The cane is not treated as an accessory or a sign of weakness. It is central to the action. It becomes the object that gives the hero reach, confidence, and power. The entire image feels playful, fast, and full of Mike’s humor.

The image connects directly to Mike’s TubiakManiak persona and his quote about wet floor signs, obstacles, and the cane as a superpower. On the surface, it is funny and theatrical. Underneath, it carries a very real message about mobility, confidence, and adaptation. The piece transforms an everyday accessibility challenge into a superhero scene. It shows that the cane can be trusted, mastered, and even celebrated. In doing so, the image turns a practical mobility tool into a symbol of strength, independence, and identity.