Take a look at the detailed, lifelike drawings of 23-year-old Mariusz Kędzierski from Poland, and you'll be impressed right away.
His attention to the subtleties of his subjects' faces makes them seem to come to life, brimming with personality and spirit. And his technical ability is truly notable. You can imagine him toiling away, his fingers smeared with graphite.
Except, that wouldn't be entirely accurate. Because Mariusz doesn't have fingers. In fact, he doesn't have complete arms at all.
Born with only a partial right arm, Mariusz decided that life was too short and amazing to let his disability stop him from doing, well, anything. "Disability doesn't mean I can't live my own, great life," he says.
Many people without disabilities see people with them as broken or incomplete, and that's just not fair. Like Ali Stroker, an actress with paralysis displayed in a bold and sexy photoshoot, a body that's a little different doesn't mean anything when it comes to an individual's dreams.
Check out some of his work below and see the amazing things he's achieved.
[H/T: BoredPanda]
Even when he was young, Mariusz had a passion for making art. He began painting and drawing at about age 3, and continued to create until surgeries forced him to stop at age 12.
However, after recovering, he started drawing again in 2008 and hasn't stopped since.
He estimates that since 2008, he's completed more than 700 drawings and spent something like 15,000 hours on them. He's also participated in drawing and art contests throughout Europe.
He's also not shy about his condition.
While traveling through Europe, he could often be found drawing in public on the streets of London, Paris, Venice, and plenty of other places.
He says he did this to inspire people, and to show them "that all the limits are in our heads."
His work has been internationally recognized, and has earned him several awards.
While much of his ability is self-taught, he studied art in college, which helped him hone his skills.
Besides portraits, he also experiments with still life.
He can capture just about anything with pencil.
He uses friends, family, and celebrities as his models, and creates stunning likenesses of them.
The details in the faces are gorgeous.
And he's always excited to try new and challenging subject matter, including tricky materials like glass and water.
His drawings have fans all over the world, and one of his pieces was even featured on a CD cover in the United States.
He wants to show people that no matter your situation, with enough preserverence and dedication, you can achieve your dreams.
He just wants to show the world that no matter the disability, anything really is possible.
And in other news, he's getting married, too!
You can see more of Mariusz's work on Facebook, and be sure to SHARE his art and his story with your friends to show them that anything is possible!
