Autistic Artists: Exploring Limitations and their Impact

On my quest to meet with as many autistic artists as possible in NYC, I’ve opened myself up to speaking with writers, filmmakers, poets, musicians – and even those that have worked alongside autistic artists to create TV and media content. There are many trends that are coming through, and for me this is summed up in the following two points:

- The talent is there

- But so are the struggles

It’s all very simple. I’ve seen some incredible paintings; those of the most intricate of detail, as well as the loosest of abstract form, beautiful verses of prose and the most moving of narratives, musicians playing pure goosebump-inducing melodies, and then there’s the incredibly impactful and compelling short films and documentaries I’ve seen produced. I feel the defining factor and difference is that these are all people with a powerful drive and passion; that they’re putting their energy and soul into the projects they’re working on – and you can feel this very tangibly.

Obviously, I’m realistic though – there’s a heap of talent in New York. It’s a congregation of some of the world’s greatest arts talent in one giant city. And that’s quite scary to think about!

But the struggles are definitely evident, and everyone has their own bag of what they’re dealing with. However, it’s more the impact that these struggles then have on one’s art practise. So, for instance, I met a visual fine artist who struggles with sensory overload and consequently finds it hard to visit galleries. This then means that they can only visit them in small doses, and has to undertake more visits to be up-date-to-date with the current art scene. Another fine artist has social difficulties and struggles with multiple conversations taking place at the same time. Sadly, he can’t attend any private views and openings due to the feeling of overwhelm - and has to leave – in case he has a meltdown. This means that he misses out on meeting with and networking with artists, gallerists, curators – and other crucial connections. Another writer has a massive anxiety about using public transport and struggles to meet others within her community of writers and attend workshops around the city.

Maybelline Gonzalez and her work, Instagram: @msmaybellene 

There are many, many examples I can give you of difficulties people on the spectrum face and the consequent impact and limitations it can have on one’s career - especially in a job where you need to be doing more than simply fine-tuning your craft. You have to be communicating and getting your work out there for it to be seen and known. And that in itself is a serious undertaking of will that all artists find challenging.

David Savette’s painting ‘Scent of Comfort in the Rain’, Instagram: @talldarkpoetny

The ultimate factor that stood out for me though was the barrier to employment – virtually all artists I met with had some type of difficulty in holding down a regular job. Each of these artists had had some kind of difficulty – or simply very bad experiences, in the past. With creative jobs or otherwise. Even though they’re all tremendously talented, and employers are open to disabilities and diversity, there is this expectation of employers (regardless of whether they’re an arts centre or theatre) - that you need to be turning up each day, and performing your role, diligently. This is a real challenge and I’ve heard countless stories of artists who haven’t been able to make this work. Our condition leaves us unable to perform stably all the time. And this makes it tough if you wish to subsidise your artistic income, which you undoubtedly are likely to have to do. This may leave you dependent on others, including the State. I know of an artist currently struggling to find a roof over her head. And that’s very sad.

Larry Bissonnette – autism advocate and artist based in Vermont 

And then what? What’s next for these artists?

I mean, I am meeting people who have managed to make it work. I met one artist for example who works at a school with special needs students, namely autistic ones, and then works on his art outside of this. This is a success story. And I’m really stressing that point. He gets to do both. He’s found a job he enjoys and cares about, while still leaving him with enough time to work on his art and make a living. He even volunteers with young autistic people at the weekend in the arts!

Some autistic artists who have more complex and severe needs may gain the support of an art centre that operates as a day care centre and are helped and supported in this form. Such places are often funded through Medicare, i.e. the Government, and will provide space and support where artists can produce art, and then the organisation will have connections with galleries, corporations and other means to sell and exhibit their work. I’ve written about these spaces in my other blog ‘Art Spaces Supporting Autistic Artists in NYC’, and for those who can get on such a programme (spaces are often very limited), it can be very beneficial – simply because of the artistic links that these centres have.

Anie Knipping's incredible book about her autism and life journey: ‘Eccentricity: A Journey through a Mind’ 

But it raises the question as to what becomes of these ‘middling’ autistic artists. Those artists whose needs may not be seen as severe enough to be State supported, yet they still struggle on in their own way. And I don’t have the answer to that! I know I regularly struggle with my autism and that can limit me, yet I also feel that I’m finding ways to make it work. Little by little. Perhaps it’s a lifetime’s worth of exploration and figuring out, who knows. But the point here is to raise awareness of these artists.

So what does ultimately become of these people? Do they continue to pursue their art? Does it simply take them a lot longer to ‘get there’? Do they have to resort to job-after-job of which may or may not work out…? My personal view is that things often haven’t been easy for us (I’m not saying everyone else has had it easy), and I therefore feel we have a higher degree of resilience than the average person, and will therefore make it work out - somehow.

Please help me complete the picture, by contacting me and sharing your stories. And I guess to an extent, only time will tell of what becomes of neurodiverse artists. But let’s not wait that long ;D!

Art Spaces Supporting Autistic Artists in NYC: Part I

As part of my Arts Council project, I set myself an investigation to visit art spaces around New York that support autistic artists. I’d largely made contact with them before coming to New York, so had a fair idea of what they were about. But then there’s nothing like seeing something with your own eyes and meeting the people that run the place – as well as the artists that attend the centres. So off I went, unsure of how they would match with their sparkling websites.

Firstly, I have to say that I was very much impressed with each of these spaces. They’ve all come from such spectacular and inspiring visions, and have a dedicated team of people who have worked very hard to get them up and running – as well as to make the connections that they have in the arts world. Which is the crucial part really, as we all know – it’s all very well having a lovely studio space, but if the work can’t be exhibited and sold on, then I guess it’s not really fulfilling its purpose in supporting these artists. The talent at each of the places I visited was very high. There was real commitment and the artists were of a high calibre, who were focused on refining their process and style of work.

A lot of these centres supported disabled artists as a whole – so those with physical and mental disabilities, of which included autism, depression, learning difficulties – and many more. Many artists had multiple and quite complex needs. Though what every person had in common was the fact that they’re an artist; it’s what they have a passion for and how they wish to spend their time. And that commitment to the arts was clear. Below is the first part of my visits, with two of the centres I visited, while the remaining two can be read in the second part of this blog, here.

Fountain House Gallery - www.fountainhousegallery.org

Fountain House Gallery provide an environment for artists living with mental illness to pursue their creative visions and to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness. They had their first exhibition in 2000, featuring a small group of artists and have gone from strength to strength ever since. They have studio spaces across the New York boroughs where their artists can work from, while the Fountain House Gallery itself sits in a prominent position in central Manhattan.

‘Domicile’ exhibition

What I really liked about them was the fact that they have six different exhibitions a year, of which every artist that is part of their roster, can apply and submit at least one piece of work to – within a given theme. The curator for each show is different, and will blind-pick the works that they like – dependent on their vision - and create a show accordingly.

The gallery based in central Manhattan

The centre has incredible links with professional artists, run a very successful annual auction, as well as taking part in external shows including the distinguished Outsider Art Fair. Artists are involved in educational talks and help invigilate the gallery space via short four-hour shifts. This helps them stay connected and involved with the exhibitions, as well as enabling them to speak with the public directly about their work.

‘Domicile’ exhibition

Pure Vision Arts (PVA) - www.shield.org/activities

Also based in the centre of Manhattan, Pure Vision Arts have a spacious studio area where their artists can work, and this space can be turned into a gallery for when they host private views and other events. It’s the first specialised art studio and exhibition space for artists on the autistic spectrum and intellectual/developmental disabilities. As well as the studio space, they provide art materials, exhibition opportunities, and career development for beginning, emerging and established artists. They seem to limit the number of artists to around 20, simply because of the number of workstations available, and I guess this is something that Fountain House had greater flexibility with (they have around 40 artists). They’re also part of the Shield Institute which means that they’re under an umbrella body of whom run various other art programmes and unique services for clients across New York.

I attended the private view of one of their shows in December and was really impressed! It was very well attended, and the studio also appears to have incredible links with professionals and galleries around the world.

Incredible work by one of the PVA artist's: Barry Kahn

Read on to the second part of my blog for the rest of my round-up!

Actionplay: Striving to Build a More Inclusive World!

I had the joy of being invited to see Actionplay - in Action - quite literally recently. It was for one of their AIMS workshops, which consists of around twenty teens and young adults (13-22 years), on the autistic spectrum (and related conditions), to come along and be part of a 90-minute drama-impro workshop in central Manhattan. The goal of the workshop programme? To encourage greater confidence and increase communication and social skills among attendees.

Based in New York City, Actionplay is a non-profit dedicated to providing children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum and related conditions equal access to education, arts and culture. Their programmes are open to the general public, and involve creative learning environments, professional development, and training modules to those on the spectrum to experience the arts.

I’d been in touch with Aaron Feinstein, their Executive Director and Founder, a few times and he suggested that the best way to see what they get up to is to come along to one of their sessions. I couldn’t agree more! So there I was, Sunday morning, getting off at Penn Street station and strolling down to the mid-town rehearsal space, not quite knowing what to expect… But intrigued and excited all the same.

Initially, I thought I’d be the ‘quiet observer’ on the periphery - but could not have been more wrong. From the outset I was involved in the warm-up tasks; completely out of my depth as I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even expressed myself in terms of shapes, sounds and movement via my body. It really took me away from my mind though; a place that I’m sure many adults can relate living their lives from. The respite was astonishing. But more so was what was going on around me: the teens and young adults’ enthusiasm and appetite for getting involved. And then there was the talent! These kids were really good. I also found them to be very respectful towards one another – listening well to each other, being quiet when someone else was performing.

The tasks built up in momentum slowly, as the participants got more into them. Music aided these exercises, with Gabriel Lit on the piano entwining apt melodies with the movements. The activities were varied and involved anything from passing a sound around the room in a circle, and adding your own - to giving a 30-second pitch of their ideas for the future Actionplay concert. This latter task was then followed up with the group being split into two, and one idea being picked by each group – creating a five-minute rendition of what the show could look like. Ideas were formulated and explored, people were free to express themselves within the context of the exercises – and most importantly; fun was had and there was a great sense of buoyancy.

And I know that this was all a direct reflection from Aaron and his incredible team of staff and volunteers. There was approximately one staff member to every two/three participants. What I noticed was how dedicated, enthusiastic and compassionate they all were. They would turn up half an hour before the session to ensure careful planning and addressing any updates, while another half hour was given after the session to discuss any issues within the session and to then wrap up and look forward to future sessions. The volunteers came from all backgrounds including teaching and the arts, but the real thing that stood them apart was their passion for accessibility to the arts and their genuine desire to be helping these individuals in obtaining this.

What struck me the most was having this space and programme available, full stop. These teens and young adults have a place to go where they channel themselves, develop themselves and be with others on the spectrum – and to ultimately do something that they enjoy.

It was wonderful and a true eye-opener to attend the workshop. The most surreal thing was that I could tell that each and every person wanted to be there, and there was this real tangible buzz of energy – a great force of positivity, power and intent of creative endeavours. Amazing…

How did I feel after? Well I was quite exhausted and exhilarated – and both in equal measures. Shattered because it was such an intense period of high-intense activity, with different things happening all around – but exhilarated because it was all so thrilling to witness. Exciting in that there was this amazing opportunity for those on the spectrum to come and be a part of – that they could be alongside staff and volunteers who are tremendous, inclusive-centric and truly able to support them. How incredible 😊

A big thanks to Aaron and the team for letting me take part in one of Actionplay’s workshops! Find out more about them on their website: http://actionplay.org/

Felicity House: A Sanctuary for Autistic Women in the Heart of NYC

In my quest to visit autistic charities and spaces in New York, particularly those with an emphasis on art and creativity, I came to view Felicity House after corresponding with the team via email. As I made my way there, through the chaotic and bustling streets of the ever-hustling Manhattan – and truly, I cannot emphasise enough how loud, often smelly, haphazard and all-consuming NYC can be at times. I describe these feelings and experiences in my blog ‘NYC: A Neurodiverse Perspective' – take a read if you’d like to learn more. But here I was. In front of this grand door, on yet another busy street, about to go inside…

The beautiful space inside Felicity House

I could not have more pleasantly surprised with the other side of this door! A beautiful space that instantly felt like home. It had this aura of calm, ease and genuine friendliness - a place of real serenity. Comfortable, clean and quiet - it couldn’t contrast more from the outside world. I was invited in and learnt more about Felicity House. How it’s a non-clinical program for autistic women, living in and around New York. The women travel in from all over: New Jersey, Connecticut and all five boroughs of NYC. There are no geographical restrictions. The space gives women the opportunity to be part of a community and to do and try new things. The only criteria are that attendees need to be female, over the age of eighteen and to have had an official diagnosis for autism. There are no wait times either. Amazing, right..?

The aim of the place is that it acts as an adjunct to the person’s life – so they can fit coming to Felicity House around their life; be it their studies, home or work commitments. Women can come to as many or as few sessions as they like, of which there are normally 10-15 people in attendance. And that’s what I really liked about the place – there are no real obligations or pressure in any way.

What can women do at Felicity House?

They have a calendar of events which they announce in advance and send via email and have on their noticeboard. The events and activities are incredibly varied, intriguing and accessible. They can be anything from movie nights, meditation to paint evenings. Trips outside the house are also organised, for instance there’s a visit to New-York’s Historical Society Museum where members will receive a guided tour of the new exhibit, ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’. Another of its aims is to act as a ‘halfway house’ in helping women to try something new and different. It can often be tricky, and hence overwhelming when considering the prospect of trying something new, let alone actually doing it. But by trying it in a safe space, with others in your community that you know, and having it catered towards an autistic audience, helps make things that bit easier. For instance, the house has a Zumba class, and this involves having no mirrors in the room (mirrors are not good for autistic people, who are more inclined to struggle with bilateral movements!), the music is at a much lower volume, and no-one is shouted at or singled out if they don’t get the moves right! Shouldn’t all Zumba classes be like this..?

November 2018's schedule

The art room

How much does it cost to attend a session?

Want to hear the best part about the programme? It’s free. Yes, truly it is. And that’s simply because Felicity House is privately funded. The story of the house itself and how it came to be can be read here: https://felicity-house.org/our-house/house-story/ and is very interesting. The fact that it’s free to attend makes a huge difference. There’s not this infinite number of paperwork, progress reports, goals and all the rest of it that staff have to complete (America is pretty bureaucratic, I’ve found out). And obviously it’s hugely beneficial for the women too. You don’t have to worry about the costs. There’s no elitism. No stress in terms of worrying about the money and having to ration yourself to the number of sessions you can afford. Women can just come and be. There’s no asking for anything more. We need more of these places!

Photo of me: “we need more places like Felicity House where autistic women can simply BE!” I remember saying to myself. It was simply perfect.

What were my overall impressions?

I was very much impressed! I remember walking around and growing quite emotional the more I saw and heard about the space. It’s such a well-thought out concept with rooms that people can go to in and sit in by themselves - to a more sociable lounge - and soft lighting all around. I’m not saying that they don’t have challenges and that it doesn’t always work out, but I felt that what they had was actually pretty damn good. Lesley, the program manager said as we went around “we have this beautiful space because this is what the women here deserve”. And she is so right. We do deserve this. And I really hope that someday I’ll see more spaces like this supporting autistic women; a group that’s very often overlooked.

Has anyone else seen or heard of a similar place in another part of the world? Do drop me a note if you have.

Women and Autism - My Musings

Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) three years ago, I chose to embark on a collaborative art project to explore the issues around ‘women and autism’, which I’ve covered here in ‘Women and Autism - A Collaborative Artistic Partnership’. As I’ve learnt more about the condition over the years, I’ve noticed considerable gender differences in perceptions of autism; its presentation and coping strategies between men and women – to the point where women are often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed with autism. I’ve questioned this considerably and the reasons behind it. I feel there’s certainly an increase in recognition in this field of thought, especially from those already with a fair degree of autism awareness - but not so much beyond it. For beyond it still lies a more outdated and stereotypical image of the autistic male. An update and restart are needed.

I’ve summarised my musings in my exploration to consider and understand issues around ‘women and autism’ in a piece of creative writing, with the text transcribed out below the image.

“Men. Why is autism so different in men than in women? Or is it…? Why is the male ‘form’ the accepted norm? the one where people have this ‘aha’ moment and realise that ‘yes sure, I’ve heard of this Autism business!’ and they revert back to TV shows and films. ‘Atypical’ and What’s eating Gilbert Grape’. The media conveying a one-sided view of what is. And-how-it-is. And yet missing out on what oh-so-isn’t… why is Autism so much more apparent and ‘obvious’ in men? We have a subtler presentation they say. But the most dismissive comment of all: ‘Oooh, but you don’t look (how does one look autistic anyway?) autistic.’ How dare you. a compliment you meant? Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that disregarding who I am and my total being is a compliment. For ‘so what’ if I’m autistic? Poor me…? An all cast set of male actors. Who are unlikely autistic, playing autistic men. In Science, Maths, Psychology. Historically. White men. All making inferences, studies, research, analysis – on Autism. What could they know? Or wish to consider about in female autistics? ‘Autism is Autism’ they say. Why are we misdiagnosed? Misunderstood. Undiagnosed. Why are we still playing catch-up with men? Every field. Yes, it’s unfair, blah, yes. But it’s not a whining point. If women are not being diagnosed, or misdiagnosed, their Autism is not being picked up on. Then this is a very serious point. And a subtler ‘presentation’ doesn’t mean we’re not struggling. That it’s not valid. That it’s less of an issue. That we can somehow seamlessly cope with it, because ‘we don’t look it’! We’re often over-compensating. And that’s hard work! The exhaustion, harshness, loudness, brightness. We feel this. Separate. A cultural gap. Initially misinterpreted as shy. Because women are more likely, at a societal level, to be considered shy… Bollocks. Gender differences. I am of course more than a label. More. But at the same time, this label can be helpful: liberating and empowering. And autistic women shouldn’t be left out here. Leave no-one behind they say. Well mean it.”

And it’s not just ‘women and autism’ that is the issue here either. For there are the differences that exist at a cultural and ethnic level. I’m discovering this more and more as I meet different people from the spectrum here in New York; all of whom have their various backgrounds and histories. Different school systems and state support. And the discussion and musings continue.

What are your views, if any, on ‘women and autism’? I’d be happy to hear to hear from you.