Thursday 29 September 2016

Why Aesthetics & the Arts?

Alongside autism, another area of special interest for me is in a self-defined category of 'aesthetics & the arts'.

I would quickly add that I consider myself an amateur in this arena too ~ I'm certainly no expert in the arts, individually or collectively, nor am I an expert in any associated formal discipline.

But, I really do take great pleasure from pictures & words, and from music & drama, popular & otherwise.  And I can become absorbed by anything I find to be aesthetically or sensorily rewarding, from single pieces of art to images of the wider world around us, naturally occurring or designed, as seen through my own eyes or through the eyes of others.

The arts ~ art in particular & now authoring ~ have been an effective escape for me, even a refuge on occasions.  I used to lose hours to art, to writing too sometimes, to listening to music, even to creating ideas that never saw the light of day (just the bottom of a bin).  And now I stay awake far too late at night collecting aesthetics (or pictures) & words, courtesy of Pinterest ~ a visual thinker's dream social media channel, in my view, & an easy way for me to communicate what's in my head.  Whether anyone else understands my clumsy attempts at non-verbal, visualised communication is another matter but it is all in the pictures.

Interestingly, while aesthetics & the arts are my arenas for escape & expression, these subjects do link strongly back to autism.  Certain autistic traits lend themselves to creative pursuits, like:

  • an ability to focus for an extraordinarily long time on one thing (if of interest!)
  • a very keen eye for detail
  • an idiosyncratic, sometimes advanced, vocabulary
  • an ability to think differently, outside the box
  • an intense alertness & awareness of surroundings 
  • extreme empathy & sensitivity  

So, actually, there is a satisfying synergy & logic bringing these interests together in one place with the anticipation of exploring further in future posts.

And, you know, maybe my passion & autistic traits actually do make me a little bit more than an amateur in those specific areas of the arts that I focus on.  After all, it's a growing frustration in the autism community that autistic special interests are often dismissed as being "unhealthy obsessions" yet if non-autistics were to show similar focus, it would be regarded as dedication, commitment & expertise.

Many an autistic expert is hidden away in their bedroom ... undervalued, overlooked ... their unique skills & expertise untapped & unutilised (I may have made that word up ... if it doesn't exist, it should!). 

The Harvest by Helen Tilbury 2011





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Wednesday 28 September 2016

An Armour On Day

An Armour On Day was nearly the name of my blog.  It sums up the bad days when you have to ready yourself for battle, with yourself, with (or for) your children, with family, with school, with strangers.  But I wanted this blog to be more than just about autism & I certainly wanted this blog to be more than just about the bad days.  Because, while autism throws up very unexpected challenges ~ & demands a different type of parenting ~ it also offers magic & sparkles.

For the bad days, though, & even in making the good days good, this quote resonates ... I have acquired patience beyond belief & have discovered the value in making & taking time ... & I mean real, drawn out time ... to listen, to prepare, to plan, to do ... with patience & time by my side my armour is lighter & my battles more easily won.


"The two most powerful warriors are
 patience & time."

~ Leo Tolstoy 




Lovely Girl

Tuesday 27 September 2016

Why An Affinity with A?

I always thought I had a connection with 'b' ~ I like the sound, the shape, where & when it occurs, I hunted it down to assert the belief ... but after a recent period of enforced reflection I realise I may well have a greater affinity with 'a'. 

Not a surprise, being such a commonly occurring letter.  But, as well as favouring me in the game of Red Letters, 'a' features in the names of significant people & every company I've ever worked for (pubs & clubs aside ... where D, I & N are the common letters!), leads the way in the addresses of homes that have kept me safe & in subjects of special interests.

One of the most significant of these is autism which arrived announced into our family 28 months prior to launching this blog.  Attempting to make itself known to us for years, in ever more pronounced ways, autism eventually ambushed our lives one memorable May day in 2014.  Out of necessity & desire I acquired an awareness & understanding of autism, a condition previously alien to me, I thought.  It's fascinating, awe inspiring & challenging.  I've met, or recognised, new levels of bravery, courage, anxiety, anger, ambition ... the list goes on.  I've learned a great deal but I'm hungry to learn more & I'm passionate about broadening understanding & acceptance in others.

An Affinity with A will help, I hope.

As will my own diagnosis.

Almost inevitable, but revealing I knew ... I know ... more about autism than I realised, I received my diagnosis at The Lorna Wing Centre for Autism in September 2017.  I'm reluctant to reveal at what age but will describe it as the very early part of the second half century of my life ~ which I hope will be long because with diagnosis comes a feeling of, & a need for, new beginnings ... for living a life meant for the autistic me rather than someone else's idea of me.

However, at the time of launching this blog, my own diagnosis remained a secretly held suspicion so, in pursuit of open & honest communication, I felt I could only publicly claim an affinity with autism.  

This all said: I am ~ we are ~ more than all about the 'a' word alone.  Other 'a' words contribute to my being & politely ask for attention, hence An Affinity with A 
(rather than An Affinity with Autism).

This blog will allow me to indulge in all the 'a' words that are important to me, to collate & share in one place relevant &, I hope, interesting content.  
And I'll flirt with 'b', maybe even 'c' & 'd' on occasion, as an aside.  I hope my posts will appeal to any likeminded visitor ambling by.

Please do take the time to let me know.  

And feel free to contribute & share, acknowledging any original content please (as I will always aim to credit others' content referenced here).   

Fair's fair & credit where credit's due.

I'm Sara (Sarah without the 'h').  Muddling Autistic Ma to our #autismrich family.  Sucking @ Social (a pun my pun-loving angel fish would be most proud of).

Why autism rich?  
I wanted to acknowledge a number of autistic family members (including myself) without specifying who is or isn't autistic.  I'm conscious that all my children should own how they present themselves to the wider world so I hope this term succinctly hints at multiples within our family & reasonable lived experiences, as well as conveying a pride in our differences & strengths, promoting a general attitude of positivity that I hope non-autistics especially will register & fellow autistics appreciate, despite our often disabling society.

I genuinely believe our neuro-divergence enriches.  
But for us & others to benefit fully from those riches we need environments ~ societies ~ that better recognise & value our differences, that enable more than they disable us, & this is where a seismic shift is needed. 



via Pinterest (original source unknown)