In this episode of The Invisible Gift, Andrew talks with the multi-award winning inventor, and artist, Jim Rokos. Andrew and Jim have a fascinating conversation. Jim talks about his experiences in school, his first invention, how dyslexia has informed and defined his work, and they speak on the merits and strengths of neurodiversities in society at large. The boys also enjoy a ‘dyslexic’ bottle of wine. 

Special thanks to Ruth Ward for permitting use of her photography. 

Top Quotes

“It’s a dyslexic thing to think around problems and find solutions.” - Jim Rokos

“Having failed so much through school, there’s a willingness to fail and take risks." - Jim Rokos

“I think all neuro- diversities are advantageous. Within a community, it’s useful to have people who think in different ways.” - Jim Rokos

“The brain architecture of a dyslexic is more tangled. Which is how they can come up with more unusual ideas.” - Jim Rokos

About The Guest

Jim Rokos is a multi-award winning artist and inventor based in London. Jim learned he had dyslexia at age 9, and has since spread the message of neurodiverse positivity through his art. Originally training as a model maker, Jim worked on a number of major television and film projects such as The Muppets Treasure Island, Tomb Raider, Band of Brothers and others.

His patented cat-food bowl won BBC’s Tomorrow’s World's Best Inventions pilot in 2001. Rokos won the prestigious 2012 Reddot Design award for the 13° 60° 104° Wine Decanter and the Enterprise Europe Network Award 2014 for the Gauge vase. In 2016, Jim curated the first ever Dyslexic Design exhibition in London. The show challenged perceptions of dyslexia by accentuating the positive effects of unique perspectives in art and design. The show was a silver winner in London’s design awards.

Resources

http://www.jimrokos.com/

https://www.kitall.co.uk/

https://www.ruthward.com/

https://www.onefineplay.com/

About The Host

The Invisible Gift is hosted by entrepreneur and dyslexic, Andrew Kitley. With twenty years experience, Andrew Kitley has worked his way up the metaphorical and literal ladder to become Managing Director of Kitall: an engineering firm.

Under Andrew's guidance, Kitall is now one of the most sought after names to complete complex engineering projects in the UK. In each episode of The Invisible Gift, Andrew seeks the advice & inspiration of a fellow trailblazer who has defied the odds to achieve the extraordinary - turning the challenge of dyslexia into a gift.