Drawing His Own Path: How Derek Heard Turned Art Into Advocacy

Derek Heard has always been passionate about creativity. Over time, that passion has become a pathway to advocacy and entrepreneurship. Through his artwork, Derek shares ideas, supports causes he cares about, and helps encourage greater civic participation among disabled people. His journey demonstrates the power of pursuing one's interests and turning them into opportunities to create change.

Derek’s mother, Teresa, is a fierce advocate for her son, taking deep pride in his work and encouraging him to do the most that he can. Society often has low expectations of autistic people, but Teresa says that she is “allergic to low expectations.”

Teresa worked at Easterseals Southern Georgia, developing skills that helped her become Derek’s greatest supporter. She worked in nearly every department at Easterseals, including the director of nursing. While she no longer works for the organization, she says that her experiences there enabled her to develop the skills that she uses now in support of Derek, and that she “took that knowledge and brought it out into the world.”

Derek continues to receive support through Southern Georgia’s Family Support Services program, which helps connect disabled people and their families with community resources, service providers, and financial assistance. Through individualized support plans and referrals, the program helps families access the services they need most.

Before founding his own business, Derek took part in the Job Placement Services program, which helps to find jobs and prepare both job sites and employers to be more accessible for disabled employees. According to Teresa, “finding a job specific for Derek was a challenge.” Indeed, when Derek thinks about his main struggles earlier in his life, he says that it was “hard to find a job.”

Building a Path to Opportunity

The first step toward his dream job began when he worked with the Rev-Up voting campaign, which helps disabled people vote by removing barriers at registration and at the polls. Derek contributed art to the campaign, which led to leaders suggesting that Derek make art professionally—as Derek says, to “use my images to make my own business.”

Derek traces his passion for art back to his love of video games. Inspired by the characters and worlds he encountered, he began dreaming of creating his own games and designing characters. As he shared that interest with others, they encouraged him to explore graphic arts as both a creative outlet and a potential career path. Along the way, Derek connected with a supportive community through Synergies Work, an organization that helps disabled entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses. According to Teresa, the experience allowed him to "connect with a bunch of people" who shared his interests and helped him pursue his goals.

All of this ultimately led to Derek opening his own business, Derek’s Doodles. There is no denying the power of his art. His use of vivid color and striking imagery in a variety of styles conveys the core of his message with clarity and impact. The images also convey the passion that Derek holds towards their subjects, to advocacy and freedom.

Derek and his business have received multiple awards, including the Annette Bowling Advocate of the Year award from Easterseals Southern Georgia. Derek’s Doodles has also enabled Derek to be a more capable self-advocate. He can choose the projects that he wants to work on and who he wants to work with, and he can pursue his art freely. “It makes me feel free,” he says, “because I’m in charge.”

Doodling for Democracy

He has worked with a wide variety of organizations, including becoming a Harvard fellow. While the United States is not a signatory on the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, Teresa says that “disability groups… do a report card,” a summary of how the United States has followed the suggestions within the convention. Derek “did a book” for the report card with Harvard, providing art to illustrate its content.

Most of Derek’s political work has been nonpartisan, focusing not on individual candidates but rather on helping disabled people participate broadly in the political process. However, there has been at least one candidate who has gotten him fired up. Disabled friendly candidates can help bring even the quietest advocate to find their voice. When finding a candidate that he could really support, Derek got “up and spread the word.”

Now, Derek is working on a film, Doodling for Democracy, focusing on the efforts of Derek and Teresa to help empower disabled people into being full participants in the democratic process. This film will bring their advocacy into a new medium, and showcase how the voices of disabled people can influence and impact lives through the political process.

Derek’s passion, drive, and skill, won’t be held back by the barriers he comes across. As Teresa once told him, “someone gave you a diagnosis… but that doesn't define you.”