CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Take a moment to think of some everyday things you do: cooking, working out, putting on your make-up... Now imagine doing those without or with extremely limited vision.
This is every day for one local woman, and she's living a more independent lifestyle than most. However, even Brittany Culp knows the importance and value of knowing when to ask for help.
28-year-old Culp is a local fitness trainer and model. She's a native of Bishop, attended Texas A&M Kingsville, from which she's earned a bachelor's and master's in psychology.
Early on she had enjoyed doing various types of modeling, but once she began focusing on her fitness, she shared her life began to change for the better.
"I really fell in love with fitness as a whole after that, fitness modeling, competing, and body-building, and then, of course, becoming a personal trainer and having my business now," said Culp. "For me, fitness changed my life. It sounds very corny but it did. It gave me discipline, confidence, it gave me a goal."
Culp says it's not enough to be physically strong, it's mental too.
"If I don't show up for me, no one is going to show up for me, and I wanted to teach that to other people and give them that sense of power and confidence to help them reach their goals."
Confident in the gym, and stunning in photos: these are all things very easy to see about Brittany, but there is one thing she says tends to surprise others when they meet her.
"28 years of life you kind of accumulate a bank of all the weird questions people ask you about blindness. People would see my pics and then hear that I'm blind or say, 'Oh, you can't be that blind,' and it kind of annoyed me, because why would I exaggerate that?"
Culp was born with retinitis pigmentosa, or RP, a condition that causes people to lose sight with age, for which there is no known cure. She was diagnosed as a child.
"I knew I was different, because we'd be playing dodgeball in P.E. and everyone would be doing fine and then me one minute I can see the ball, the next, I'm getting hit in the face with it all the time!"
Culp said she was expected by doctors to be completely blind by 21, but now at 28, she still maintains some vision, but not what she would call safe or reliable. She says she's grateful for a mother who advocated for her to get the assistance and resources she needed to help as she grew up, as well as a rehabilitation center in Austin, Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, which taught her how to navigate through the big city as a person who is blind.
Despite living with RP, Culp lives a very independent lifestyle. She has a guide dog named Pixie who helps her get around, her supportive boyfriend, Michael, and even an audio food scale to assist her with meal-prepping.
However, there was one unique obstacle Brittany found about a year and a half ago that made her modeling career a little tricky.
"I had gotten asked to do a photoshoot, but they [photographer] couldn't find a makeup artist for that particular shoot and they asked if I could do my own and my knowledge about doing my own makeup at the time was very limited. People use YouTube if they want to learn makeup techniques and that's cool if you're sighted and can see! But when you're not sighted, you're limited until someone teaches you."
Because she wasn't able to do her own makeup, she had to cancel the shoot.
So, now on a mission to learn, Brittany put a call out on social media looking for someone who could teach, eventually finding Chelsea Nguyen.
Nguyen is a Houston-based make-up artist and vocational rehabilitation trainer with CN Vision Image Consulting, LLC. She helps many people with disabilities learn how to do their own makeup and even use hot hair tools like curling irons or straighteners.
Combined between in-person and online clients, Nguyen has helped more than 2,000 clients.
"I teach my classes on the premise that everyone has absolutely no vision. What I find is the biggest problem is when someone has the mentality that they can't do it, and when someone has that mentality they've already limited themselves. I can't fight that fight for you," Nguyen said. "I find it my life's purpose."
Nguyen taught Culp different makeup and hair techniques all via FaceTime sessions, giving her more options for different looks, and helping her feel even more confident in her abilities.
"Where there's a will, there's a way. If you really want to learn something, ask. Don't be afraid to ask someone to help teach you, I really don't know anyone else who teaches the way Chelsea teaches."
In addition to encouraging people to not shy away from asking for help, Culp has some other advice to share:
"I've asked what do you think blindness looks like? Big sunglasses, clothes don't match, you wouldn't be able to wear makeup... Don't fall victim to stereotypes."
Both women hope their talents can help more people. Culp says she's looking forward to taking on more clients to help them reach their fitness goals, and Nguyen says she's willing to help more makeup artists teach those who are blind or with other disabilities how to do their hair and makeup. To learn more about her services and how to contact her, click here.
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