Author of ‘The Blind Woodsman’ speaking openly about mental health

WASHOUGAL, Wash. – A workshop in Washougal serves as a shrine to John Furniss. There you find healing.

“I’m always on my mind,” John said. “I create my world through my imagination.”

It’s the creativity he relies on after almost losing everything he had.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” said John. “I started finding woodworking after I was blind.”

Without looking, he said the steps are different.

“I’ll take those little pieces of the design that are already there and transform it in my mind. I’ll make the curve a little deeper. I’ll make the bowl a little rounder,” John explained.

Woodworking is the craft that gave him a new path, taking him far from one of his darkest days.

“When I was 16 years old, I had a lot of emotions and decided that I didn’t want to be on earth anymore. So, I tried to kill myself. Whether it was providence, fate or whatever you want to say, my mind and my body remained completely intact. , in addition to sight and smell,” John said.

What happened long ago remains for Anni Furniss.

“I’m so thankful he’s still here,” Anni said.

Anni is an artist who recalls her chance encounter with John in July 2012.

“They were bringing in volunteer artists to paint the piano for a fundraiser,” Anni said.

“So I go into the room and like an iron bar to a magnet, I deliver the paint,” John said.

“All of a sudden I heard ‘Oops,'” Anni recalls. “It was John, and he had these amazing dimples, and his eyes were closed, and I said, ‘OK, he’s blind.’

In the conversations that followed, John and Annie discovered that they had something in common.

“We started talking about our stories with our struggles with mental health,” Anni said. “It really brought us together.”

They connected with art and used it as a therapeutic tool.

“Woodworking has been one of the things that has opened that light for me in so many ways,” John said.

“He used woodworking as a way to focus away from the depression, the anxiety, the difficulties he had like I had with painting,” Anni said.

The couple also bonded in another critical way.

“I was diagnosed with a hypermobility condition this has changed my life in so many negative ways because I have lost an incredible amount of mobility over the last few years. John is the one who has been there for me”, said Anni. “I always say that John is my legs and muscles. And I am John’s eyes.”

“We fill each other up where the other person is missing,” John said.

It is a partnership that led to a proposal. The couple got married in September 2015.

“Rarely do I come across a relationship like ours, to be so committed to each other, to our cause together,” John said.

They found peace, purpose and a platform with social media posts about second chances.

Now they are sharing their message about mental health in a new book called ‘The Blind Woodsman’ which came out in March.

“Mental health is no different than heart health, lung health, joint health, or anything else,” John said. “I had something to offer through my story.”

“People have even said that John sharing his story has literally saved their lives,” Anni said.

John remembers being approached by a girl whose father committed suicide.

“She said my story helped her. It helped her understand why. It helped her accept it,” John said.

“If there was even just one person he did this for, it would all be worth it,” Anni said. “John, he’s the most gentle, loving, kindest person I know and everyone should know his story. and he can’t tell it himself and so I’m honored to be able to say this for him. He doesn’t he sees with his eyes, but he sees with his mind and heart.”

“I like to say I lost my sight and gained my sight,” John said.

From John’s workshop to Ann’s art studio, the couple is combining their talents and overcoming obstacles. They say this is a testament to their history.

“It’s like the best love story. I think so,” Anni said.

“I hope it can give people hope that there is light on the other side of the darkness,” John said.

TheIf you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Visit Vibrant emotional healthS ‘ Safe Space for digital resources.

View: KING 5 Top Stories on YouTube