We put the we in weird. At least that’s our family motto when we find that we don’t feel like we are fitting in. But who says we have to?
Both of our children have been diagnosed with autism and it came as a surprise to us because we thought they were perfect. And actually you know what, they are. It’s just that we are probably on the spectrum too. Perfectly perfect within the spectrum of ‘normal’.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s there were very few girls diagnosed with autism. I was labeled ‘bright and quirky’ and preferred my own company and time to pursue my special interests which was ART ALL DAY. I eventually went to boarding school where I never had any homework (because i finished it all in class) and I got to spend my evenings painting using my special key for after hours access to the art room. This was my solace and always has been.
When I read back through my school reports it painrs a picture of a kid who didn’t fit in. Who embraced her quirks (I was pretty brave thinking back) but who didn’t necessarily know how to manage burnout from people or noise. Now I like to live my life in full colour, at full noise but also low volume.
Let’s fast forward to now. I’ve found my calling in education and consultancy possibly due to my hyperfocus now on all things Art AND Education. I draw and read and write in the early hours of the morning before the family wakes up. I love reading about education and pedagogy. I love thinking about ways to put it into practice so that it can be more accessible because I know that not all teachers/parents love the hyper-geekery that I do. I love writing poetry. I love language rules and I love to break them. I love colour. I feel the sky.
So this is how I have come to be here - doodling in my free time making ‘feeling perky being quirky’ affirmation images so that my son can see them and go ‘that is cool as hell - I want to share that’ because the affirmation strikes a chord with him. Because being quirky and being celebrated for being quirky needs to be the new norm.
I don’t believe in publishing stories that are not my own and I can’t share too much about what goes on in our children’s lives because they are not my experiences to share. But I can say that as a parent who wants to make a difference, as a an educator who has the power to spark change and as a an artist who can think about how we can do/present/engage with things differently, this is my calling.
Norming is boring. Let’s do things differently. Let’s make a difference with difference.