No Ordinary Balloon Man

05/30/2026

Hello everybody!

Last week, my friends Vena Therathanakorn Fekany and Taylor Fekany threw a baby shower to celebrate the upcoming arrival of their new baby boy. Due to plethora of times they have helped Jasmin Evans Carr and I with various important tasks, I crafted a beautiful organic balloon sculpture for their celebration. The balloon build took around 5 hours to build/assemble and even my little lady, Lily wanted to help inflate a few balloons at the end!

The event itself was a lot of fun as well, taking place at the historic Dubdread venue. The food was wonderful as well, in addition to having several very fun games! Along with getting to see other friends of ours who are parents as well (yay Lou) , I was also thoroughly "stickered" by my daughter! I also got to have my son join in the festivities, as well as my extended family!

Altogether the day was fantastic and I was even able to go to an additional baby shower!

So I hope that all of you have a wonderful day and had a fantastic May (that unintentionally rhymed)!

05/24/2026

Hello everybody!

One year ago, on May 22, 2025, Orlando's newest theme park Epic Universe opened to the public. Thus, yesterday was the 1st birthday of Epic Universe and I wanted to do my best to help my incredible team celebrate!

As a long time fan of ancient mythology, I absolutely loved the inclusion of the Goddess Luna and The God Apollo on either side of Celestial Park. Since I see Luna almost everyday I come into work, I wanted to make her and her cosmic rabbit Lepes. For the celestial deity, her swift animal friend and the rings that surround her, it took over 7 hours to build. My favorite feature to make was her beautiful beautiful and somewhat chaotic hair (the beginning of her garden is known as the Chaos). I know that I made a lot of my fellow Team Members smile with the creation, which also gave me an "epic" sized smile.

The actual day went wonderfully as well, I was able to help out many fantastic guests. A Captain Cacao meet and greet was also introduced (I did get to see him but hopefully soon I'll be able to meet him). In addition, once my shift had ended for the day, I was able to get a limited edition pin set that represented some of the most iconic landmarks in Celestial Park (with of course Luna being highlighted).

This last year has had many stellar adventures with guests, my Team and my family. I look forward to many more years of being with this company with over a 100 year history...A "Universal" company that is indeed Epic!

Universal Orlando Resort

05/10/2026

Hello everybody!

A few nights ago I was able to enjoy an evening with my fellow Team Member friends at a Universal Park After Dark event! The event took place at Dark Universe and since he is my favorite animatronic on the magnificent ride MonstersUnchained, I made a balloon hat of the Phantom of the Opera! It took over an hour to make but he was so much fun to wear! A lot of people love it, including my phenomenal Park Services Team (a big shout out for Johnathan, Spencer, Meghan and Isaiah for helping with pictures and joining me on all of my rides)!

With my team (even one of my supervisors and team captains was there), I was able to eat all sorts of delicious food (having as much of the Garlic Steak that I wanted was amazing) and I road Curse of the Werewolf multiple times (the ride really is meant to be done at night, it is an entirely different experience in the evening).

At the end of the night, not only was I able to finish the night by riding Monsters Unchained (with nearly every animatronic working), I was able to have the Team Members for the ride adopt my balloon!

As a long time fan of the Classic Universal Monsters, it was crazy getting to see the village of Darkmoore for just the Team Members. However, the best part of the night, was exploring one of the most impressive Theme Park Worlds ever created...with friends. The Village of Darkmoore is just a little bit brighter with people like this to work with. I am truly grateful for my Team from Epic Universe for supporting me every day at Isle of Berk and Celestial Park. They help make everyday memories and allow me to make countless Guests smile.

Thank you guys for making the day Epic!

Universal Orlando Resort

04/28/2026

Hello everybody!

After having an exceptionally busy set of weeks, I realized that I never got to post the rest of the awesome photos from the Art and Autism Exhibit for Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at the Dr Phillips Center! I had a wonderful time getting to see the many fine art pieces and galleries from other artists. Some of my favorites included the UCF animation showcase and the VR experience which was used to train for public speaking. Another highlight of the event was being a part of the CARD Open House event! Here I got to meet most of the incredible artists on the spectrum like myself and my family was able to see the gallery as well (many people especially loved Lily's personality)! Seeing all the various mediums they used to tell their stories was inspiring and made me think of just how far the understanding of neurodivergent individuals has improved over the years!

I also got to see one of my favorite local politicians Anna Eskamani, who will be running for Mayor (I personally hope she gets it)! I also got a rare chance to explore downtown Orlando, in which I found a fantastic Bao placed called The Bao Spot (they were Star Wars and Mass Effect themed too)!

So I wish to thank Gesa for once again having me out and the entire UCF CARD - Center for Autism and Related Disabilities team for being so incredibly accommodating to me. I loved being a part of the event and getting to encourage others to have an open mind about what individuals on the spectrum are capable of.

As we end this April and Autism Advocacy Month, remember to offer encouragement to anyone neurodivergent or not who may need motivation to pursue their goals in life.

04/27/2026

Hello everybody!

I just wanted to let you guys see the wonderful videography of Shaded Scythe Studios with the Brook balloon that I made for SYFY Bartow Festival ! He is one of my two favorite 3 favorite characters from One Piece (Him, Robin and Buggy) and he was a ton of fun to make...a Skeleton! Yohohohohoho!!

P.S. Make sure to watch until the end of the video!

https://youtu.be/t1j3LDu9KJw?feature=shared

Brook Balloon Sculpture (SYFY BARTOW 2026)

04/09/2026

This event was an absolute delight to witness! Not only were each of the teams exceedingly talented, but I love how the creativity of the celestial based theme was displayed! Although I only made elaborate balloons for the two winning teams, they all did a phenomenal job!

04/07/2026

Hello everybody!

I have highly enjoyed being a part of the Art & Autism Exhibit with Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Dr. Phillips Center. The exhibition features some truly exceptional artists, like myself, who just happen to be on the Autism Spectrum. I based my work this year on a piece by the featured artist, Josh Hubert, which was an incredible life-like tiger. My balloon fabrication took around 20 hours to complete and used over 470 balloons. The sculpture stood over 10 feet tall and many guests throughout the event complimented the tiger and even visited the exhibit after seeing the balloon feline.

Along with making the Art & Autism installation, I also made a few balloons for artists in a few of the additional events for UCF Celbrates the Arts! There was an Opera showcase called "A Double Bill of Fun" which was not only fun, but absolutely hysterical! I made a balloon for the an amazing performer named Nicole who played the Character "Captain Lovelock"...She made me cry laughing with her comedic timing and she had a phenomenal voice! The entire cast was fantastic as well (Especially a gentleman named Frederick who played a character named Mr. Scruples) and I was one of the many people who gave them a standing ovation at the end of the performance. At the end of the opera, I made them all one balloon dogs and I made Captain Lovelock a hilarious wearable balloon mustache to represent her character!

This jubilee also had another amazing event called the Creative Clash. The Creative Clash was a competition in which 4 groups of UCF seniors and alumnis were given an hour to paint a scene pertaining to a unique topic. The topic chosen was "Out of this World" due to the Artemis 2 rocket launching. The entire process was fascinating to watch and when the competition ended, 4 amazing pieces of art were created. After the event, I made a balloon Knightro and Pegasus for the winning teams. The teams went on to visit the gallery as well. Since many of them were One Piece fans, I made them one balloon swords and one of them even did a hilarious reference to the character Zoro.

Thus far, being a part of the Art&Autism/UCF Celbrates the Arts, has been exceptionally fun. Learning of so many other individuals like myself who have had similar struggles and have expressed themselves through various mediums, brought a genuine smile to my face. My good friend Gesa with both CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) and PALS set up the exhibition and has been informing many visitors on the importance of programs such as CARD. CARD, just like Autism Learning Partners, has a major impact on the Autism community and they are advocates for individuals on the Spectrum. In setting up this beautiful event, they have helped give many neurodivergent individuals a voice to help others understand what Autism acceptance and advocacy looks like.

The Art & Autism Exhibit is running for the rest of this week at the Doctor Philips Center and I am looking forward to seeing all of you there!

04/02/2026

Hello everybody!

I wanted to just say a big thank you to Universal Orlando Resort for all of the opportunities that I have been given...Especially as a gentleman on the Autism Spectrum. This company has always been a champion of those who have been misunderstood and had been willing, since 1912 to give a chance to anyone that they see with a good work ethic.

As a result, I wanted to make an Autism Infinity sign to highlight both this incredible over 100 year old company and my Team at Epic Universe who are willing to work with me every day of my journey. Their films have given incredible actors such as Dan Aykrord (Ghost Busters) and Dayrl Hannah (Kill Bill) a chance to let their voices be heard. Along with this, my team has worked with me through many of the challenges that I've had. They have helped me come up with solutions that have given me the opportunity to make many families (including ones with individuals on the spectrum) have a fantastic experience at the parks!

I hope that all of you not only have an epic day, but continue to show the the acceptance and advocacy needed for those on the spectrum to succeed at life!

Happy World Autism Day!

04/02/2026

Hello everybody!

I am excited to say that Tomorrow I will be starting my balloon display for the Art and Autism Exhibit for Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Dr. Phillips Center. I was a featured artist at this same event a few years ago and I cannot wait to show you all what I will be fabricating!

As a gentleman on the Autism Spectrum, I am honored to be a part of this gallery which demonstrates the perseverance and talent many on the spectrum possess. As April 2nd is World Autism Day, this two week event shows what advocacy and acceptance looks like for those who are neurodivergent.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the event!

03/20/2026

Hello everybody!

I just wanted to make a quick post just saying that I am truly proud of the little accomplishments of my daughter and my son...It's not every day that you hear your little lady of cuteness sing her baby brother to sleep, seeing your son try solid foods for the first time, having your daughter want to learn to make balloons and seeing your son sit up on his own for the first time...It's moments like this that make me feel proud to be a Daddy.

I love them both with all my heart and I feel truly blessed that they have had their own little accomplishments...

And I love the lady who gave them to me...my wifey Jasmin Evans Carr ...thank you for giving me these moments...these beautiful blessings.