At AlchemEyes, we believe the greatest transformation begins within. Your truest power is already alive inside you, waiting to be awakened. Here, you’ll find tools, stories, and truths that challenge you to rise—not because someone else saves you, but because you chose to save yourself.
Todd Tolson is a visionary advocate, author, and accessibility leader whose life’s work bridges the worlds of visibility and inclusion. In 2024, he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on the Maryland State Rehabilitation Council, where he advises on policies that promote independence, employment, and equity for individuals with disabilities.
As the Founder and Director of the Blind Muse Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Todd has dedicated his career to transforming public perception of blindness and disability. Through education, technology, and storytelling, he fosters deeper understanding between the sighted and blind communities. His initiatives include accessibility workshops for youth, inclusive media production, and mentorship programs for blind entrepreneurs.
Trained in digital accessibility through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Tester Program, Todd looks forward to expanding his consulting and advocacy work to strengthen accessibility standards, improve digital equity, and empower people through inclusive design. He is partnering with local Chambers of Commerce throughout the U.S. to help businesses prepare for the 2027 ADA digital accessibility guidelines, which will apply to companies with fewer than 50,000 employees. Todd also looks forward to assisting more authors and organizations in telling their stories through accessible, inclusive platforms.
Beyond his professional and creative endeavors, Todd values his role within his own family. He spends quality time with his young nephew, who is in elementary school, giving his sister — a single parent — much-needed support and time to recharge. It’s a role that reminds him daily of the power of compassion, connection, and showing up for others in ways that truly matter.
A passionate communicator, Todd brings the same depth and honesty to his creative writing that he does to his advocacy. His memoir, The Sissy, The Alchemist, The Man, is a lyrical exploration of identity, resilience, and transformation. Through the book’s three archetypes — the boy condemned for being different, the seeker who turns pain into power, and the man who stands in his truth — Tolson invites readers to embrace their own hidden alchemy and discover freedom in authenticity.
When he’s not writing or leading accessibility initiatives, Todd mentors blind professionals, directs inclusive video projects, and continues to expand the reach of the Blind Muse Foundation. He lives by a single, powerful principle: that helping others see — in every sense of the word — is the truest act of creation.
How I turned Pain into Power
Focus on the “I”
Before you can change the world, you must see yourself clearly.
This space isn’t about comparison, approval, or external validation. It’s about claiming your own reflection, your own truth. When you focus on the “I,” you recognize that you are the only competition. Everyone else has their own path. Your task is to walk yours with honesty and courage.
Look Within
The answers you’re searching for aren’t out there—they’ve been inside you all along. Looking within means facing the raw parts of yourself: the fears, the wounds, the doubts—and transforming them into strength. True alchemy happens not when you avoid the shadows, but when you turn them into light.
The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow
Dark nights don’t last forever. Even in your heaviest moments, remember that dawn is inevitable. Hope isn’t about ignoring the pain—it’s about trusting that the sun will rise again, and when it does, you’ll rise with it. Every ending carries the seed of a new beginning.
Push Through
Life will test you, break you, and sometimes betray you. But resilience is forged in the push. Every step forward, no matter how small, is proof that you are stronger than the circumstances trying to stop you. Pushing through isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence.
Save Yourself
No one is coming. That may sound harsh, but it’s the most liberating truth of all. When you take responsibility for your healing, your growth, and your future, you reclaim your power. Saving yourself doesn’t mean walking alone—it means leading yourself to the life you deserve.
A Message From the Author
Dear Journey Men and Women,
“Why are you so fucking happy all the time?”
A co-worker asked me that in 1988. At the time, I didn’t understand the question. It’s taken nearly forty years to grasp what she was really asking—and why.
I’ve always carried a natural optimism, a positive outlook that seemed unshakable no matter what storms raged inside me or around me. Friends were drawn to my warmth and personality, yet beneath it all, I often felt a profound and private loneliness.
This book is for anyone who has ever longed for connection, courage, or simply a reminder that no matter what life hurls your way—you can rise. You are not alone. Most of us don’t share what’s really happening inside, me included.
The title of this memoir reflects the stages of my journey:
- The Sissy: A boy shamed for not fitting into society’s narrow mold of masculinity.
- The Alchemist: A seeker of transformation, transmuting pain and fear into wisdom, compassion, and spiritual awakening.
- The Man: Not the myth society sold us, but one who has survived, loved, lost, healed, and reclaimed his power on his own terms.
This story does not shy away from hard truths. Within these pages, you’ll find the raw, unvarnished realities of a life shaped by joy, grief, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of healing. Every experience left a mark. Remove even one, and I would not have learned the lesson that defines my life: no one is coming to save you—you are your own rescue.
The Sissy, The Alchemist, The Man –
Have an Awesome Day on Purpose!
Todd Tolson