Artist with Asperger's

Hello everyone. I'm Patrick [removed by moderator]. I have Asperger Syndrome and a few other things. I keep myself busy by doing art every day. I've had a few exhibitions of my work and I do talks around the country about how art therapy has helped me. I have a carer and I enjoy playing with my dog, he's a 3 year old Belgian Malinois called Chase.

I struggle with making friends, being outside on my own and find it difficult to keep calm when I experience sensory overload. I have outbursts, but since taking up art I haven't self harmed, head banged or needed to be restrained. It's been a lot better. 

My medication helps, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to take it. I work off my aggression and agitation as best as I can at the gym in the mornings when it's quiet and I find that helps me for the rest of the day.

I get very tired by 8pm and sleepy, but then by 11pm I'm wide awake and restless again. It goes on waves like that.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say hi. Here's a video of me [removed by moderator]

You can see some of my art on my site [removed by moderator] 

Parents
  • Hello, I'm really interested in this thread and I wonder if some of the artists here might be able to give me a few pointers.

    It sounds as if , having had as you put it a few exhibitions you might be used to public engagement.

    I am an author and I am about to start a round of book signings for my latest novel. to be honest I'm getting quite fretful about the whole thing. manybe I'll cope better once the whole thing is underway but at the moment I'm wishing that I hadn't signed the publishing contract.

    any help out there to cope with this? (or am i just being a wimp?)

  • I don't think you are being a wimp at all. I love that I have books signed by authors but I couldn't go to a book signing.  I'm trying right now to decide whether it would be an intrusion to message an author and ask if I could send them my copy of a book for them to sign it for me.

  • I'm sure that they would not mind - but maybe offer to include a SAE for return. Much as authors love their readers the fee they get per book is tiny (in the pennies rarther than the pounds) and the postage soon adds up. you would probably have to contact them via their publisher though, not many authors part with their home addresses

Reply
  • I'm sure that they would not mind - but maybe offer to include a SAE for return. Much as authors love their readers the fee they get per book is tiny (in the pennies rarther than the pounds) and the postage soon adds up. you would probably have to contact them via their publisher though, not many authors part with their home addresses

Children
  • I post reviews on Amazon and GoodReads too, as well as Netgalley

  • I post reviews on Amazon and goodreads, I'm not very good at reviews, but I do post when I really do like something.

  • Song , buy buying books your are helping the author, they get more from sales than from loans, it's just authors make a living from a little money on a lot of sales. By buying  from bookshops, especially if you have an independent bookshop near you you are keeping a valuable high street resource alive, so please keep buying books.

    I am sure that your author would sign the book for you, message them via their web site, or via their publisher and offer to incude a SAE (if they are well off they can always say they'll pay the postage, if they are not then they'll appreciate your offer)

    I write Young Adult fiction, I don't think I'm allowed to provide a link to the books as it would probably infringe the rules of the forum -- sorry.

    One more thing if you want to help your favourite authors is to please post a review of their books on Amazon, even if you didn't buy the book from Amazon. it really helps sales.

  • Wow, is that really all they get? I have often bought my books from shops when I could have borrowed them to support the author, including paying on Amazon even though I have prime and could have read them for free.

    I am hoping that there might be a way to work round getting the one I just bought signed but it is bothering me.

    What do you write? I love to read, books are very important to me.