I love to do yoga, and I love to teach yoga as well. Yoga is an ancient practice by which we unite our body, our breath and our mind. Together, this can be very powerful. In fact, yoga comes from a Sanskrit word, meaning to join. For that to happen – for the mind and body to join, it requires the participant to precisely follow directions. Small details in the pose can make a huge difference in whether one actually does unite their body, breath and mind. It doesn’t seem like it would make a difference, but when a yoga instructor makes a small change to get someone into the correct pose, you can definitely feel it. The little details of precise posing really do matter.
Something I’ve noticed is that Ally focuses very intently on the details. A lot of autistic artists do this. When we are doing yoga, Ally is clued in and performing the tasks precisely because she is remembering all the small details. It’s not just a yoga thing, it’s a lifestyle. When it comes time to show Ally how to do something, we always practice: I do, you watch; I do, you help; you do, I help; you do, I watch. Through this process, Ally settles into the details of what she is doing.
Details can sometimes be overwhelming for artists with autism, but the beauty of autism lies in seeing all the details. When I glance at the wall, it’s white. But it’s not really white. There’s too much yellow in it to be white. It’s a cream color. When I focus harder, I see it’s not a cream color at all: because of light, shadows and reflections, the wall is dozens of colors. Maybe hundreds. If I focus too much on that—trying to see all the details—my eyes quit. Ally and other autistic artists don’t have that off switch.
When Ally begins painting, she puts that ability to see the details to use. At those times, the details are no longer overwhelming. Ally seems happiest when she is painting. I love to see what she creates because it’s a small window into her world and perception.
Ally is always authentically herself, and as hard as it can be at times, it is the greatest gift my daughter gives to me.
Think about it. You meet people all day long, and sometimes their words don’t match their body language. Their shoulders are slumped and they are clearly down. Something is wrong. But our society doesn’t seem to support people in sharing their troubles.
Or perhaps I ask the wrong question. Maybe instead of “how are you?,” I should ask something else: “Do you have something you want to share?” People don’t want to be a burden with their problems, but the weight of your burden is not the same for me. I have to work on coaxing people to share their true selves. Ally, thankfully, does not need coaxing. She is ready to tell me if she is hungry, cranky, happy or tired. She is unafraid to be herself to new people or to her family.
Being around Ally or other people with autism is like finding hidden treasure. There is treasure in the depths and the details. You just have to know where to look. Isn’t that the way with everything? But it is especially true here. Everyone is unique and at the House of Shine, we celebrate uniqueness. The treasure lies in our uniqueness, because in finding the unique in someone is to find the details that make them different from everyone else. And we see and celebrate their individual voices through their art.
Just as they are unafraid to be themselves, so too is their art unapologetically theirs. What a gift to be able to appreciate others through the art that they create, and to be able to see how fearless and meaningful an autistic artists’ art can be. It is truly a blessing. Visit our shop to browse Ally’s art for yourself. You can grab the ‘Be Yourself’ giraffe art print or journal while you’re there!
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