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] 

  • I don't know Red Bubble, I'll have to have a look. How was your exhibition? What are you working on now?

  • Hello, sorry for the late reply, no I've only had two sessions with a model at my drawing group. I'd to love to draw the views of castles, although I have got countryside views. I didn't receive your private message, Be good to see a photo of your sculpture?

  • I am an artist too, got a website and sell the odd thing from outlets such as Red Bubble. The school where I work recently gave me an exhibition

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

  • I am an artist who often doesn't attend my exhibitions /performances / events etc. A representative goes for me or I do everything remotely. Sometimes i go in disguise and hide in plain view. Just an alternative ways of looking at things. 

  • Do you go to life drawing classes.? I like life drawing but not done any since I finished uni about 5 years ago. Charcoal is brilliant, great for mark making. Too. I'm pretty lucky where I live as I have  plenty of mountains, castles, lakes to draw. If I'm out and about I  nomally use water colours pencil.s due to being easy to carry, bendable, I can record the colours ready to use for my sculptures. I tried to sent you a private message but can't.. I have not sent one before so not sure if I'm doing it right. 

  • I'm really enjoying doing life drawing, I like to use charcoal because of it's flowing motion. I also like landscapes and cityscapes, I like the challenge of drawing new things, since I'm learning about lots of things. Where do you like to go out to draw?

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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?)

  • Hi Like doing all type of art screen printing, ceramics upcycling art but special like painting and drawing. I draw any from landscape to the detail of A sweet wrapper A Good day for me is when I  can have a day out drawing by myself. I also have difficulty with writing things down so I use art to  communicate. Brilliant you are doing a drawing course. What do you like to draw?

  • Hi Artbook What type of art do you like?

  • Hi Asperger's Artist, I'm also an Artist, I started doing a drawing course last year and I've been really enjoying it. I've learnt a lot different techniques and I feel it's given me a completely new outlook on my life and It's something I'm very passionate about.

    It's impressive you've had a few exhibitions, it's something I'd love to happen to do in the future. 

    It would great to hear your reply

  • Hi Aspergers artist I'm a artist too and I have recently been diagnosed with Aspergers. Glad that art helps you. it's a great therapeutic tool. 

  • ...Not always a good idea to use your real name and real face, but, well, that is an already done thing, and so I shall say no more about it, in this Post.

  • ...Greetings... No other replies to this Thread, yet...? Thus, I shall venture this Link, here, if you do not mind...:

    http://community.autism.org.uk/f/miscellaneous-and-chat/11683/drawing

    ...This is a Link to someone else who recently brought up a similar Topic.

    Apart from that, I do not know what else to Post, here.

    Fair Play to Yourself, in any case.