From the Gutter to the Shutter

Craig Balmer, 33, turned to his love of art and changed his life around.

Down on his luck and experiencing hard times, art student Craig Balmer, 33, turned to his love of art and changed his life around.

Sacked by McDonalds and driven to sleeping on friends sofas, Craig then found himself completely homeless and almost in the gutter, literally.

He turned to one of the few possessions he still retained for his salvation, his camera. The spark of the creative artist made him determined to improve his life and he enrolled on the National Diploma in Photography at Doncaster College.

Then things rapidly improved, Craig found a place to live and at college, helped  and encouraged by staff, he started to "pump out the work,” as he says and spread his talents to other disciplines. He discovered stone sculpture and painting, and now has aspirations to be a mixed media artist.

To cap a good year for Craig he was nominated for an Adult Learners' Week Award and he won the Music and Arts Award at the Yorkshire and Humberside regional ceremony recently.

Updated: 18/08/2010