Michael: Creating Opportunities Through Creativity

For Michael, art is more than a hobby. It is a way to express himself, connect with others, and share his unique voice with the world. Through his dedication to creating and his passion for learning new techniques, Michael has continued to grow as a person and as an artist while inspiring those around him. 

This year, Michael reached an exciting milestone when his work was selected for display in the New Artists exhibition at The Hub Art Factory in Canton, Ohio. The exhibition showcased emerging artists from across the region and provided Michael with an opportunity to share his creativity with a broader audience. Seeing his artwork displayed publicly and watching each of his pieces sell was a proud moment and a testament to the time, effort, and enthusiasm he brings to his craft. 

Michael’s accomplishments are showing no signs of slowing down. He was also selected to be featured in the August 2026 edition of Uniquely You magazine, a publication that celebrates the achievements and interests of people with disabilities. As a longtime fan of the magazine, the opportunity held special meaning for Michael. Being recognized in a publication he has admired for years reflects not only how far he has come as an artist, but also the confidence he has developed in sharing who he is with others.

That growth has been supported over many years by APSI Protective Service Representative Susan Rusinoff, who describes consistency, patience, dependability, and compassion as the foundation of her work with Michael. Just as importantly, she has worked to promote open communication among Michael and the members of his support team so that his own abilities, preferences, and goals remain central to the decisions being made around him. 

One of the most important lessons Susan says she learned through working with Michael was that more support is not always better support. At one point, when Michael was struggling, his team responded by adding service after service in an effort to help. Eventually, they made the difficult decision to take a different approach and reduce some of those supports. 

It proved to be an important turning point. 

Given more room to demonstrate what he could do for himself, Michael showed his team that he was more capable than they had realized. The experience changed the way Susan thought about advocacy. Rather than assuming that additional services were always the answer, she learned the importance of trusting an individual’s abilities and advocating for opportunities to exercise them. 

That philosophy continues to shape the support Michael receives today. APSI’s role is not to determine what Michael’s success should look like, but to help make sure he has the stability, communication, and encouragement needed to pursue the things that matter to him while maintaining as much independence as possible. 

Michael’s artistic accomplishments are his own, but they also demonstrate what can happen when support is built around a person’s strengths rather than around assumptions about their limitations. Opportunities to create, exhibit his work, and receive recognition have given Michael new ways to make his voice heard and connect with his community. 

As we reflect on a year that has highlighted the creativity of the individuals APSI serves in many forms, Michael reminds us that meaningful advocacy sometimes involves knowing when to provide support and when to create space for someone to show what they can do. His journey as an artist continues to make his voice visible, one piece at a time.