Ron Blake
Ron Blake
The artist Ron Blake struggled badly with PTSD after experiencing a brutal, near-deadly rape at the hands of three men who entered his downtown Phoenix home as he slept one night. LGBT bias was a major factor in the trauma that occurred.A malfunctioning TV timer led to an unexpected moment of laughter from a popular late-night comedy show that stopped Blake from suicide one evening. That hope sparked his ongoing eight-year cross-country artistic journey of healing with a symbolic mission.His medium is the human interaction he’s had for 2,678 consecutive days. Meeting 32,143 complete strangers one by one across the U.S. and Mexico.Those interactions are expressed as social practice artwork. Vibrant stories of support for his efforts are written in 94 languages with 27 Sharpie marker colors on 494 giant foam boards.He was nominated for and gave a TEDx talk about his innovative rape recovery and the significance of becoming a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.When he gets to that show, he will deliver this massive collective story of hope, support, and triumph. With the goal of entertaining, informing, and inspiring millions to see that no one walks alone in trauma recovery.