Aspies For Freedom

To the artists here, you all have some wonderful art.  As an Arty Autie I loved seeing your work.  If anyone would like to visit my online art gallery, feel free... its at...

http://www.donnawilliams.net/Gallery/

also any other artists interested in having their art sites hosted have a look at

http://test.auties.org

its a new site we are hoping to use to promote people's works, its free to join and there's a category for artists.

later, when its finished it will be at http://www.auties.org

(nothing to do with Autistics.Org)

Bye for now...

Donna Williams *)

I very much like 'the music of beingness', looks like a dream happening inside.

Do you have an opinion of symbols for autism such as the infinity sign to represent autism?
I am not good at drawing freehand, but have tried to make some designs using the infinity sign.

the infinity sign... that'll drive us OCDers nutso!  
I used to do those all day constantly, the hand weaving thing, infinity, sideways eights... do you know it assists left-right integration in helping download when left right integration stuff is too slow?  Serious.

I love the music of beingness pic... its all about freefalling and that's about being yourself.  Do you know the hole in the middle is that of a guitar... they are falling into the guitar!

yes, I AM nuts, its a qualification.

:-) Donna Williams *)
ever the naughty autie.  

did you like 'breach of security'?  I think that's very autie... its very much my solitary nature.  As a slogan I always liked 'I am always myself in the becoming of it'.  A symbol.... oh yes, I know what mine is for sure... its the cat... cats are self owning, dog's are not... think about it.  or there is the dandelion *)

this is the symbol for resilience.  its slogan is 'you can't kill a weed' (see they grow back, they can't be stopped no matter how you supress them).

the symbol *) is one I've used for years, but I don't mind if its adopted, its a wonderful symbol and some folks have mirrored me with it anyway.

you know dandelion in french is Dent De Lion (tooth of the lion) and all about strength in the face of adversity.  In german its Pusteblume (blowing flower... because it flies off in the wind, its seeds scattered in all directions.  The dandelion is never appreciated by mainstream, it is sprayed, cut, ripped out, but children know its beauty and hence they make bouquets and give them as flowers... I did a book on them called The Adventures Of a Weed... I should put it on the site... it is great... all about a dandelion that gets ripped out of the ground and whisked scarily into the world.

:-) Donna *)

:-)

"A symbol.... oh yes, I know what mine is for sure... its the cat... cats are self owning, dog's are not... think about it. or there is the dandelion *) "

If you look at the forum here, you will see most of love cats! We have a thread of cute pictures of them, and many of us have cat avatars, we also have a common saying - Meow!  :grin:

do you know the first three members of ANI were me, Jim and Kathy Grant (I wrote of them in Someobody Somewhere when we first formed ANI in Kathy's flat)?  

Well Kathy's call is always 'meow' and if you look at my painting 'the wall' you'll see she is next to a cat... this cat is in fact the disembodied self as my bipolar, anxiety, compulsive flea stuff made me unable to stand the impact of emotion within the body... hence, the cat... I still see myself as the cat... whilst expressively I'm full on, receptively I'm very limited... still the cat.  I spend 5 days alone 8am-6pm and love it except for when I run the groups.  I never notice I'm alone.  I'm not lonely as many auties are.  I was always good with my own company, extremely so.  my challenge was how to keep that in a world that didn't understand this was my nature and my strength, my place of self and creativity... but I have that now and I still communicate just more through ARTism.


ps:  I have a lecture called 'cat people versus dog people'
I also wrote about cat people and dog people in my book The Jumbled Jigsaw... which has The Music Of Beingness as its cover!



:-) Donna Williams *)
ever the naughty autie.

Welcome to the group, Donna, I'm glad you're here.

I like your idea for a site that promotes autistic people's work, but noticed that it's required that participants have a diagnosis. I guess that knocks me out of the group--and that's ok, I'm not complaining :oops: But it does limit your members to only those who (for whatever reason) are diagnosed. Some of us don't choose that route, sometimes for very compelling reasons (like a single parent who has to worry about custody, or someone who might lose a job, or someone who worries about discrimination...or someone who just doesn't like wearing a label).

Also, I've known people who were rather obviously high functioning autistic but didn't recieve a diagnosis until they had visited several different doctors. I'm sure you've heard stories of doctors who simply don't understand how a person could reach adulthood with undiagnosed autism...but of course we all know how frequently that has happened. It would be sad to think someone in that position (pre-diagnosis) would be denied membership if they really wanted to participate.

Ok, I guess it does sound like I'm complaining...sorry.

Well, anyway, you're allowed to tell me to bug off  :lol: I promise not to be offended.

Actually,

in the updated version http//:test.auties.org (later will be up as http://www.auties.org ) you'll see the category for 'autie friendly' which is for those without a formal diagnosis, so we do actually cater for both.

:-) Donna Williams *)

That sounds like a good compromise, I'm glad to hear about it  :smile:

Do diagnosed auties/aspies have any kind of feeling of superiority over undiagnosed/self diagnosed auties/aspies? or does the AS/A community welcome anyone who can identify with the traits?
I am simply just curious, I'm a self-diagnosed/in long process of getting diagnosed (NHS waiting lists etc) and I feel like I can have some sort of closure when I have it official and stop feeling so much strain in worrying about it but aswell as closure I'll be able to feel like I really belong. (unfortunate that has to be done through the medium of mental health professionals).
I am not at all posting a self-dignosed vs diagnosed thing at all here, I just really want to know, well I dont know what I want to know really.

Because of my feelings about the system of professionals/diagnosis/treatment/categorization etc I am so tempted to not get a diagnosis and announce, 'come out' that I am AS and get involved in actively doing something, anything, I dont know what though, but I also want proffesionals to learn about it so it becomes recognised and understood so the world starts accomodating us abit better.

Sorry If I sound like a total contradiction again, I hope no one thinks Im hoping to starting a rift.

I think Id like to start an art group for aspies/auties where I live , not a support group but an interest group. Imagine if loads of AS interest groups sprung up everywhere with all the self-dxd and diagnosed people of all levels on the spectrum just getting together and joining forces, like the as culture on the web but taken into real time, the word would have to acknoledge our existance.
I will stop rambiling now as hypergraphia sets in..  :? :o  :grin:  :wink:  :roll:

p.s. sometimes even though I have the best intent when writing or speaking I offend and I am so untactful so if my post offended anyone I dont mind if its deleted.  Hope it didnt though.  Does anyone else have major probs with tactlessness?? its made me paranoid to write anything for ages so just have to check what Isay is acceptable. :oops:

*I* don't find what you wrote offensive at all, but then I guess it's pretty similar to what I asked in a way--so maybe I'm not the best to judge, eh?  :lol:  

I do have a 'major problem with tactlessness'. Over the years I've learned to remedy that by being as quiet as possible in RL, and at the moment I've taken a break from the net mainly for the same reason. I find it incredibly stressful to worry about what I've said, the impact it might have, etc.

I actually like dealing with blunt people MUCH more than those who talk in circles and are 'tactful'.  I appreciate someone who says what they think straight out instead of wasting time playing games and hinting around about stuff, or worse, people who expect me to know what they're thinking, and get upset when I don't! Sheesh. Personally, I find it much easier to be open and forthcoming myself when I'm dealing with someone who tells it like they see it...even if I don't agree! Which is one reason I like reading here on AFF.

Bluntness is a good attribute, in my mind. It saves time, saves confusion, saves stress!

So there--I LIKED your question!

Gee, that's the most I've written on the net in over a month! LOL

Outnumbered, but not outclassed.

I like this one best so far:
http://www.donnawilliams.net/Gallery/sli...curity.php

my first thought was that it was about love (in a general sense) or 'letting people in' because you can't have happiness in a friendship or in a love relationship without a "breach of security" of your own defense-walls.

I am just curious if that's what you were going for.  
Or if maybe it was an absurdist statement about being oneself which is a breach of the security of society in some way.

or am i totally off the page?

anyway, thanks for linking to your art; enjoyed seeing them.

i should've read your post first but as i didn't quite understand it i might as well ask my question anyway.  Although I think it was my 2nd guess.

I'm so struggling with technology here... all these buttons with words and I can't find how to reply to anyone so I just click the one reply button I can find... oh well... and no point telling me because in words whatever you tell me lasts in eactly this moment and tomorrow it'd be stuck here in today and it won't exist.

in any case, Breach of Security... what does it mean to me?
hmmmmm

Exposure Anxiety, people pushing their way in, into the colors of self, past the wrought iron, the alarm goes off Breach of Security!!!!


:-)

Music of Beingness sold at the current exhibition (to my Aspie pal so I'm happy as I can visit it :-)

it was scary beign present at a gallery but I got used to the routine.
Many auties and Aspies came... it was fably autie-friendly.

I tap danced with a 9 year old autie girl in the gallery... great fun.
she is an artist, writer, musician etc too.  Fab kid.

met two autie musician/composers today from a residential unit who'd come with the workers to the show ( http://www.vanguardgallery.com.au )

wild... if only the world was really like this more... perhaps in time, piece by piece, it will be.

The gallery is very autie friendly and other artists might be interested to chat with the curator about their work.

:-) Donna Williams
hopeful fool
http://www.donnawilliams.net