people to stop using me was inspiration porn

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I had an art show yesterday. My mom thought I should use the fact I'm autistic as a selling point. "It might make people more likely to want to buy it!" No, I will be forced into going to events hosted by warrior parents. I want people to buy my work because they like my work, not because they feel sorry for me. The lady who arranged my show basically said I should be an inspiration for a few disabled people she knows. She means well but I don't think she's aware that "inspiration porn" is a thing. I don't want to be a professional artist in the first place, I want to be a veterinarian. I'm saving any money I make from these things for college, tutors and veterinary school.

How do I tell people that, "Yes, I am an autistic artist, but I want to respected as an artist just as much as you would an NT artist. The fact I'm autistic I wish would be overlooked as much as the fact I'm a woman." My mom even joked that there should be a sign saying I am autistic and not to talk to me or make eye contact with me, just buy my art. I found it offensive but if I protested, my mom would have had a fit. My mom is one of those people who refuses to take ownership of the situation if she offended someone. I it wasn't her intention to hurt someone's feelings, than she feels as doesn't need to apologize and those who want an apology are just butt-hurt crybabies who can't take a joke. I've learned how to force myself to laugh when around other people to keep up the act. I have to mask around my own mother more than I do most people. My mom also doesn't believe me when I tell her how offensive the puzzle piece is and goes on and on about how it's "not" offensive.

We used to call “inspiration porn” being a “poster child” for some such cause or another. It’s a form of tokenism, too.

Imagine every time your name gets mentioned, someone always appends the words “... who is autistic...”

Come to think of it, I know people who do that for themselves.

“Hi, I’m Cheryl. I’m a vegan!”

“Well, as a vegan I would have to say...”

“I don’t wear leather, being a vegan and all ...”

“I’m having falafel for lunch, ‘cuz I’m a vegan, you know ...”

“That Trump is a real character, always mucking up on the media, next thing you know he’ll go after us vegans ...”

Last edited by Fnord on 27 Oct 2019, 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

I have been used as a "token" before.

Is there any way you could not take your mum to the show so she can't tell anyone? It seems like whenever you hear about autistics we're either inspiring or murdering people.

Yeah, I hate it when people bring vegans up totally out of context for no reason

Reminds me of the joke.

How do you know if someone is a vegan?



oh, they will tell you.

Almost like saying My names _________. What's your problem? type of thing?

People should, of course, like you for your art.

I’m thinking that being an “autistic artist” might not be so bad at times.

Maybe it’s akin to being a “French artist” or “an artist from the era of Impressionism.”

One selling point in a regard for artists and art is individuality. Another, related, is uniqueness.

Many artists express their uniqueness by creating a written manifesto.

I was thinking how with some things it works and other things it does not work.

For example, if someones says "I'm a racing driver and I have one leg" people will be impressed. But if someone else comes along and says "I'm a racing driver and I'm an alcoholic" it does not sit well. One would likely say "Shhh! You might lose your job".

And if another person says "I'm a racing driver and I'm a vegetarian" people would look at you daft... They would say "What's that got to do with anything?"

And yet in society, we do that. People who decide they have made a decision almost expect a similar praize. And yet a man with a serious problem because he has an addiction and it is seriously effecting his life may really struggle to get any serious help whatsoever unless he decided to try and commit suicide but dails... And then he or she may be taken seriously...

And of course the person with one leg will need help...


Maybe my thoughts are not making sense... Uhmmm.

I will never, ever exhibit my “art” for an audience. I’m just no good.

At least you’re good enough for that—whether they consider your autism or not.

I didn't know you were an artist, would you mind sharing one of your art work pieces here?

Some people use their disability to define them and to get more attention and others will not mention their disability because they are human and their disability does not define them. Even some parents do that with their kids too, they will say things like "My autistic child won the spelling bee" than "My 5th grade child won the spelling bee." I mean if they were asking for parenting advice, then it would be relevant to mention their autism so people know this is not an ordinary child so they may not be at the same developmental level as a typical ten year old and so parents of special needs kids or special ed teachers can give them advice than getting advice that would only work with "normal" kids and it's also to avoid harsh responses.

I remember being in high school and I made my therapist laugh when I told him I don't see people introducing themselves and mentioning their disability or medical condition. Like my dad doesn't say "Hi I am B and I have diabetes" or my little brother saying "Hi, I am B and I have color blindness." My therapist told me I was exactly correct that people do not mention their problems that way so therefore I am not saying "Hi, I am league girl and I have Asperger's."

But I remember one high school student saying on my track team "I don't know which one is red, I'm color blind" but in that context he was mentioning his problem to explain why he doesn't know which color is red so no one would think he is stupid. Same as mentioning why someone would say they are deaf or hard of hearing to explain why they ignored you.

You don't need to mention your autism if you feel it's not relevant to the situation or if you feel it's none of their business. Rather people want to mention their disability to explain something is up to them.

I hear Steven Spielberg has autism but it's obvious he has not mentioned it himself to the media or else there would be articles about it and he would be used with inspiration porn. But I am pretty sure he has mentioned it to individuals for casual conversations or else I wouldn't be hearing he has autism. Word spreads. He also does not define himself by autism and has not come out yet in the media about it like Darryl Hannah has.

Interesting.

I think one of the big difficulties with autism is that few of the peopke who don't have the condition can relate to it. They may do a bit of research just to grasp and idea, but then they say things like "Everyones autistic", so it is like they have built for themselves a false idea they use as a type of platform base to compare autistic people to themselves.
I understand this as they are trying to make sense of things, but it then makes people not understand what others are dealing with.
There are other issues where trying to describe ones thoughts and feelings are almost impossible. I mean... Lets say you took 1000 people who have not been assessed and have not even thought about autism. Some of them will be on the autistic spectrum. But lets say you ask every person there on the spot and expect a direct answer and ask "How does your brain think?", I doubt if one would be able to give you an answer without spending weeks of deep thought.

(I have now spent months of deep inward thought to work out where I stand, and this is by comparing myself to others on this site with various different views).

But unless one has taken the time to think in this way, how can a person who is not on or no where near being on the autistic spectrum start to understand? I believe rhis is the one main issue that those on the autistic spectrum face when trying to explain their struggles with allistic people (NT's etc), and it is no ones fault. One simply does not think if one has not had the need to think about the subject.

For me, one interesting group of people who are on the autistic spectrum are those who neither get shutdowns or meltdowns. I am intregued.
Another interesting group for me are those who have never resorted to masking. I understand those who don't mask and have severe difficulties with autism, because if one is in this position where the autistic traits have been really obvious, one has not had the need to develop masking. My personal belief is that it is likely that those who have masked are far less likely to be "Discovered" so they are more likely to be assessed later in life if they experience burnout or some stressful change or situation in their lives.

But anyway. How do we describe autism in a way that everybody can understand? That is the big question.

How do we describe autism in a way that everybody can understand, and accept?

I mean, it’s easy to explain autism, and maybe a little less easy to explain how it feels to be autistic in an allistic society. But how do you explain it all in such a way that “normal” people won’t dismiss the explanation as just more whining by a bunch of “weird, hand-flapping losers and snowflakes”? That is, assuming that any “normal” person is even interested in learning about autism.

Put a panel of psychologists on Public TV?

Have Alex make a hero’s journey movie featuring a real-life Aspie in a lead role?

Convince celebrities and sports figures to “come out” as Aspies whether or not they really are?

Everybody is convinced in different ways, and some more easily than others (some not at all).

It’s going to take a long-term, multi-faceted approach to even reach everyone.

I was vegan for a few years...animal rights was and still kind of is a special interest. Might get back into it when I have a place where I can actually prepare food. But veganism isn't the point here.

I don't have a driver's licence yet so I had to have her drive me. My mom basically was kinda quiet at my show. It was the other lady that would introduce me to everyone. "This is the artist." I would meekly say, "Hi", wave and ask the person how they were. The fact I was autistic never came up. I don't mind if it comes up in casual conversation.

I WISH I could take myself places. That way I could get out of dodge faster when I felt a meltdown coming on and didn't have to resort to extremes. I wanted to leave early because I had a f*****g headache and business was slow. I only sold 5 paintings....the watercolor sunsets and palm trees I actually HATE. But everyone else seems to love them and they are an easy buck. I could do those in my sleep. I have showed people how to do it but they don't seem to want to pay attention...yet they tell me NOT to start a You Tube channel where I explain the process.

It wasn't my mother's idea to say I was autistic. The lady who organized my show suggested it stating I was autistic in my bio (apparently I have other shows coming up). My mom made the stupid joke when no one else was around. It seemed funny at the time, but to be honest, I'm not the best person to ask about weather something is "funny" or not.

I think mainly it's this other lady I need to get through that I don't want people to know I'm autistic before they meet me. Honestly, she's probably on the spectrum herself. She runs a cat rescue and is very particular about who can or can't adopt a cat. But she grew up in an era where autism, let alone in girls and women was even a household word. I don't mind people knowing I'm autistic. I just don't want them to know that before they actually meet me. People like Dan Aykroyd, Darryl Hannah, Satoshi Tajiri, Anthony Hopkins, Eminem, etc were established before the world knew they were autistic. And anyway, I don't want "autistic artist" on my veterinary school application someday. I'm only doing this art stuff to fund my way to becoming a vet. Maybe do it on the side once and a while when I actually am a vet.



I don't have a website yet and don't know how to post from my computer. I deleted my DeviantArt account months ago because my name on there was connected to my ex-boyfriend and I didn't have the money to change it back.

www.imgur.com.

You can take a photo of your artwork with your phone and upload it to that website from your mobile. Then post the link here.

I don't know. I don't feel safe putting my art out in the open like that.

I think we need more of things like this.

It feels a bit like talking about God to an uneliever. You know what you are trying to say, but there is a difference in communication somewhere as the unbeliever and the believer have two different mind concepts both based on their personal experiences. Talking to an allistic person from the mindset of an autistic person is something along similar lines in my mind because each one on either side has a different perspective. Building the bridges of the mindset is not easy. It is basically telling the allistic person to put down their pre-concieved ideas so they can then be ready to hear what one is talking about without jumping to conclusions before one has finished in ones description.