Celebrating Creativity and Courage: Steven Hart’s Journey with Motor Neuron Disease

Steven Hart, artist, screenwriter, and former Art and Design lecturer from Glasgow, has lived a life defined by creativity, resilience, and a passion for storytelling.

In 2020, Steven, 60, was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) – a progressive and incurable condition that affects the nervous system. There are currently around 480 people living in Scotland with MND.

Originally from Kings Park in Glasgow’s south side, Steven travelled and lived in Canada, before settling back in Glasgow with his partner, Mim Omari.

It was in 2019 that he first noticed his lower left leg was lagging when he walked, and after an array of tests over many months, he was finally diagnosed with MND in December 2020.

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness which stops signals from the brain from reaching the muscles. This may cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink, or breathe. The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. There is no cure or meaningful treatments.

Speaking about his MND diagnosis, Steven said, “I don’t want this condition to ever define me as a person, or as an artist.”

Since his diagnosis, Steven has faced challenges with his mobility including limited movement on his left-side, but he hasn’t let this hold him back. Influenced by pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Shepard Fairey, he continues to create portraits and other artworks.

Steven has faced his condition with remarkable determination and tenacity as he continues to pursue his artistic and writing ambitions while helping to raise important awareness of MND.

His creative journey began in the late 1980s where he developed his skills in advertising as both a Copywriter and Art Director, earning several awards for his innovative work.

His passion for visual storytelling led him to teach Art, Design and Illustration as a lecturer in several Scottish colleges for over 25 years. He has inspired countless students whilst also refining his own creative practice.

Steven holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Art, Design and Architecture in Education from the Glasgow School of Art. For the past thirty years, he has worked as a freelance artist through his own company, Hart Creations.

He specialises in layered photo collaged portraits using pencil, pen, graphic marker, acrylic paint and ink on layered paper. As the complex portraits are pieced together by hand, they can take weeks, sometimes months to complete due to their intricate, hand-cut details. Steven continues to create these portraits, however, due to his MND, he now requires support to complete his work.

Steven takes inspiration for his Pop Art style portraits from movies, art and music, in particular his favourite music genre, classic rock. Inspired to create a portrait of Myles Kennedy, the singer of the American rock group, Alter Bridge, Steven was blown away when he got the opportunity to present the portrait to Kennedy after a concert in Glasgow in 2018.

Steven transitioned into screenwriting in recent years. His screenplay Overwhelming Darkness, pays tribute to the key themes of classic Film Noir and vigilante movies. Overwhelming Darkness has achieved huge success, winning 25 international awards in 2024 and 2025 alone, including: Best Thriller Screenplay at the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival; Best International Feature Script at the Miami Film Critic Award; and Best International Screenplay at the Indie Vegas Film Festival.

Steven said, “Getting recognition for my screenplay has been absolutely amazing, I just need to connect with a film producer who will champion it and get it made. That would be a dream come true.”

Since his diagnosis, Steven has been documenting his experiences with MND, channeling his journey into creative projects that aim to raise awareness and inspire others.

He is currently researching a new screenplay based on his condition, continuing to prove that creativity knows no limits.

In 2026, Steven will have a solo exhibition of his artwork in Glasgow to help raise vital funds for MND Scotland to support other families affected by the disease.

Speaking about the support he has received from MND Scotland, Steven said, “MND Scotland have been such an incredible support for me and my partner over the last five years, helping us out with grants to adapt our bathroom to make it accessible for me. They’ve also arranged counselling sessions”.

MND Scotland would like to thank Steven for sharing his story and helping to bring vital awareness to motor neuron disease.

For more information about Steven’s work and journey, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/stevenhart7

If you would like to help make time count for families affected by MND by making a do-nation, please visit: www.mndscotland.org.uk or email: fundraising@mndscotland.org.uk for more information.