This is something, Dear Readers, that might seem trivial, but this post is important to me. I’ve been thinking of how to be a better self-advocate not only to myself, but also in helping others, especially in light of the Coronavirus chaos.
The thing was I was constantly drained by the restrictions I was given, the rules, the protocols that I had to work around. There were things that helped, certainly being able to drive was a plus, but the two hours I was given to drive myself to places didn’t help, mostly because the time was far too short.
It was far too short for me to recharge and for myself, as a artist, I found myself not as energized as I usually am. It really made me wonder if I’m an artist or an advocate.
The answer, after thinking about it, became simple when the restrictions were lifted and I could travel again. Yes, I’m an advocate and I’m happy to do what I can to help others, but with that said, I like to consider myself a poet, a writer, in short, I am an artist.
The two worlds collide, to be sure, especially recently when I went to a virtual self advocacy meeting and the guests were artists that would be doing a mural for The ARC Mid-Hudson. For some reason, I felt like gushing about the collaboration because for me, it felt like the best of my two worlds.
Self-advocacy has a way to bring a voice to people’s concerns, just as much as art can, maybe moreso. There’s a way to bring these two worlds together, if you want to, if you’re open to expanding your world.
I’m living proof that it can be done, so please explore the arts, expand your world, be willing to learn, and together, we can all share our collective voices and truly…
Shine On!!!!
The Autistic SuperBlog 