Date:
Author: Trelanda “Tree” Lowe
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Pictured is Liz Pritchard, a Caucasian non-binary individual with light brown hair and light-colored eyes. She is wearing a dark red button-up shirt – Liz is smiling at the camera, surrounded by her original artwork of various feathers resembling crows’ wings against a bright red background.]
Liz Pritchard is a neurodiverse artist, advocate, teacher, author, presenter, and mentor whose advocacy has taken her to Taiwan, the Philippines, Mexico, and Canada. Pritchard is the creator of an original comic book series titled PaperBag Comic, a series of short stories about learning to love all of oneself despite their flaws – too much doubt can be very debilitating. However, the right amount can help you be the best version of yourself.
Pritchard illustrates inclusion for all kinds of minds and focuses much more on the human component of each character. Pritchard has self-published over 800 pages of this series, which is still ongoing. During the COVID pandemic, Pritchard has also produced a one-hundred-page poetry book featuring her original poems.
Pritchard advocates for autism and mental health conditions and was featured in CITY Newspaper as one of Rochester’s 10. Pritchard is also an Ambassador for the Autism Council of Rochester; the organization opened an autism center dedicated to Trevyan Rowe. She was interviewed on ROC Voices Radio about recovery from addiction, on Spectrum News several times about autism acceptance, and most recently on WXXI’s Dialogue on Disability and NPR about finding opportunities as an artist during a global pandemic.
It was through Pritchard’s mentor, Alec Frazier (who passed away in February 2021), that she was introduced to the Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) network, where she learned how to network and build strong, meaningful connections. Through networking with LCA, Pritchard landed a gig with A+E Networks as the content creator for The Employables social media advertisements and created the quote card art for each episode in the series. Pritchard and her mentor, Alec Frazier, have traveled to multiple Comic Con events across the United States over the last few years and served as panelists for New York Comic Con in 2019.
In 2020, Anna Pakman and Liz Pritchard created a docuseries film for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge titled “My Superpower,” Pritchard filmed, edited, and provided visual effects expertise. Pritchard also edited the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge in 2021, “Social Fitness,” and produced/created a film for EDFC in 2023, “Spawn Point: My GPS Will Fail.” Through LCA, Pritchard was hired as the Post-Production Supervisor and Video Editor for the ADA30 Lead On: Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education and Pride Production and the NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) Production of 2020. Pritchard is also an LCA Flash Mentor and runs the michaels.adams. Studio Workshop for current LCA cohorts!
Pritchard believes that everyone deserves a chance, regardless of labels. Pritchard works to Unmask society by breaking down barriers brought on by misconceptions and stereotypes that revolve around neurodiversity, mental health, and addiction. Instead of focusing too much on labels, Pritchard focuses more on the ‘human’ component. Everyone has insecurities and while these parts of ourselves manifest uniquely, it’s still a universal experience we all share.
Pritchard builds networking opportunities to benefit others through LCA, speaking engagements, and creative art-based projects! Pritchard has a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) in Studio Art with a concentration in drawing. As for staying authentic to yourself, it comes down to staying true to what you believe in– especially in the career field. The worst potential employers can say is ‘no’, which doesn’t indicate a dead end but more of a ‘not now’; Pritchard advises others to expand their skill sets and artistic craft. It’s a lot about trust: You must trust yourself and your passion, don’t give up and everything will fall into place. The stars are always there; we sometimes overlook them in the clouds.
Pritchard’s social media handles are below:
- facebook.com/paperbagcomic
- instagram.com: @liz_paperbag_comic
- www.paperbagcomic.com
About the Author: Trelanda Lowe is the Editor-in-Chief – with Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) Newsletter/Marketing Team. She is the first LGBTQIA, BIPOC to lead a disability newsletter brand since 2023. Trelanda is also a photographer, a travel enthusiast, a fitness junkie, and a worldly music lover.
[Image Description: An African American woman (Trelanda “Tree” Lowe) dressed in a multicolor leather jacket, jewelry, aviators, and colorful hair wrap. She smiles while holding a “peace” hand sign to the camera.]