Rewilding the Artist Explained
One of the difficulties of being autistic is
finding a sustainable way to work due to the levels of anxiety, mental &
physical exhaustion that we can experience from living in a neurotypical world.
Being autistic in a neurotypical world isn’t
easy.
The world can seem totally alien where
everyone talks a different language & acts differently to how I experience
the world, which causes very high levels of anxiety, misunderstandings/confusion
& isolation.
I have exercises and activities that nurture,
balance & calm me (a sensory diet). However, they are an additional
activity in my day that take time but are essential to my
wellbeing.
But what if they were my arts practice? What
if those activities were my work?
Could my arts practice be my way of life that
nurtures and sustains me & the process shared to benefit others?
What could that look like?
The Office of National Statistics reports that
81% of non-disabled are in work, 52% of disabled are in work, only 22% of neurodivergent
people are in work (2020/21). There is also a disproportionate number of those
that are neurodivergent in the arts. Finding a way to peace through a solid nurturing
practice must be the first step to overcoming barriers to access in the visual
arts & the creation of wellbeing.
Rewilding the Artist is a test bed for myself as to how I can use my practice to nurture my wellbeing using my sensory diet as a start point. For seven months I shall research, imagine and test what a neurodivergent, sustainable practice could be. I am pleased to be supported by Susan Goundrey-Kruse, Morag Ballantyne, Oriel Davies and Disability Arts Cymru (DAC).
The process will start with a survey of my studio, focusing on its sensory effect on me. I shall then progress onto small sensory experiences and develop a creative response to each while documenting the process including writing a public blog. This will document me from the inside out, a view of neurodivergence that is rarely seen. A selection of ideas will then be developed further. Finally, the whole experience will be shared at an online event for which I am partnering with DAC.
Questions to address:
How do I document my positive sensory difference; what I see and feel that is different to the norm?
Can I illustrate / document it with sound, movement, placement, other...?
The process will be a flowing and intuitive experience. I don't yet know what direction it will take or what will emerge other than I intend to work towards a practice of sensory calming that will inform myself and be shared with others.
I would like to thank the Arts Council Wales & The National Lottery for making this project possible.
