Autism and Art

Dear Community, 

I am an autistic artist and PhD researcher but there is something I continue to find very difficult and I am wondering who else has this experience? Whenever I am asked to describe what my work is about and what the deeper meanings might be I find this almost impossible on the spot, especially verbally. I can write and reflect but cannot seem to explain to my supervisors satisfaction. I have explained that I am Autistic but they still require me to quantify things verbally at every meeting. I seem to mask very well so I think people find it difficult to see me as Autistic but this type of situation, where there a vagaries of meaning unmask me completely, I have no idea how to deal with this or what alternatives I can give them! I am very literal and they want me to use very abstract theories that have subtleties of meaning I seem to miss... Any thoughts would be massively helpful. 

Parents
  • Just BS your way through it! Give them something you think they want to hear. I say that but I know I'd find that hard. I did art and I found a lot of the language in reading texts etc to be quite high brow. Im definitely not 'igh brow. Seminars were difficult but essays easier. Some would use quite flowery language but I just feel they do it to look cool. I struggled with abstract concepts. Maybe just prepare a bit of something on a notepad for if they ask you. I struggle to go in cold with a lot of things in life and also to give general gist like film plots etc. Could you explain them how or why you find it difficult? They might accommodate you a bit more if they understood more maybe.

Reply
  • Just BS your way through it! Give them something you think they want to hear. I say that but I know I'd find that hard. I did art and I found a lot of the language in reading texts etc to be quite high brow. Im definitely not 'igh brow. Seminars were difficult but essays easier. Some would use quite flowery language but I just feel they do it to look cool. I struggled with abstract concepts. Maybe just prepare a bit of something on a notepad for if they ask you. I struggle to go in cold with a lot of things in life and also to give general gist like film plots etc. Could you explain them how or why you find it difficult? They might accommodate you a bit more if they understood more maybe.

Children
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