A young man with Down syndrome turns creativity into greeting cards
The cards are a family affair, with Keegan Varley’s mom and brother pitching in to help
When Keegan Varley's mom Lynn noticed his love for drawing, she knew she had to share it with the world.
She was flipping through his Grade 12 art book soon after he finished high school and noticed his talent for drawing.
One in particular stood out and sparked a business idea.
"I saw a little snowman drawing and, literally, the light bulb went off — I thought this would be the cutest card for friends and families," Lynn Varley said.
Keegan Varley, of Richmond, B.C., has a unique perspective on the world because he lives with Down syndrome.
Today, he pours that perspective and his creativity into greeting cards, through a company called Keegan's Cards.
The card business is a family affair: Keegan Varley starts the ball rolling with his drawings, his mother traces them over and his brother Zach digitalizes them with colour for print.
The captions in the card are often a team effort.
"It kind of hops between the three of us," said Zach Varley.
"He comes up the ideas. I wouldn't come up with an idea for an owl or draw it with such character, but it's fun getting to take that drawing and add in how I interrupt it with a pop of colour."
The cards are sold at craft fairs and stores around Vancouver.
Keegan Varley hopes to one day sell his cards in an art gallery.
Watch the short film Keegan The Card Maker below:
With files from The Early Edition