Autistic Artistic Carnival 2013 Submission Posts

Drumroll Please….

Here is the Autistic Artistic Carnival 2013…Any one who wants to submit to me still I will put more for 1 more week to make it even more prouder!!! Happy Autistic Pride Day Everyone!!! A rolling Carnival for 1 week 🙂 I randomly put everyone’s submissions in so it’s in no particular order.

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Here is the start of the Autistic Artistic Carnival from an essay, J8, the creator of Autism Network International (ANI) who hosts Autreat every summer since 1996!

This Essay is in response to the murder of Alex Spourdakalis:

Applying that to murder or abuse: People seeking to understand or
explain a horrible act should not automatically be considered to be
excusing or defending or sympathizing with the perpetrator. We *all*
should be asking why.

Following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh,
killing more than 1100 factory workers and injuring thousands more,
there has been a lot of discussion about how such a thing could
happen. Supervisors who ordered workers back into the building to
work, owners of the building, engineers who designed it, builders who
built it, inspectors who renewed its license to operate, western
businesses that purchased garments manufactured in the unsafe
building, and western consumers who create demand for low-priced
products without regard for the working conditions of the people who
manufacture them, have all been identified as contributors to the
disaster.

Identifying the roles of larger forces (western companies and
consumers that create a market and a demand for cheap products,
thereby putting economic pressure on Bangladeshi factory owners and
builders and inspectors to do whatever it takes to be economically
competitive) does *not* minimize the guilt of factory supervisors who
ordered their employees back into the building after it had been
ordered evacuated the day before.

I haven’t seen any suggestions that the building owner and factory
bosses should be treated leniently because they were under such
economic pressures to keep producing. Yes, they were under pressure,
but they did have choices as to how they responded to those pressures.
And they made some really bad choices.

But understanding the pressures that contributed to those bad choices
*is* useful in identifying ways to prevent such disasters from
continuing to happen. It suggests ways that people who aren’t in
Bangladesh can support meaningful change. I can’t go to Bangladesh and
punish the Rana Plaza factory supervisors, but I can boycott companies
whose products are made by oppressed workers in unsafe conditions, and
I can let them know I’m boycotting them and why, and I can make a
special effort to buy from companies that *do* uphold ethical
manufacturing standards, and I can urge my elected representatives to
enforce standards on products imported into my country, and I can
encourage other people to do the same.

And *none* of that should be taken to mean I’m expressing sympathy or
encouraging leniency for the factory bosses!

In the same vein, seeking to understand what pressures are on
caregivers who commit murder should not automatically be taken as
expressions of sympathy or encouragement of leniency for murderers.
It’s crucial that we *do* examine why these murders happen, if we want
to support meaningful change to help prevent future murders.

If people do appear to be expressing not just “understanding” but
actual *sympathy* for murderers, maybe it would be instructive to
point out this comparison, as an example of how acknowledging and
exploring the role of outside pressures can reasonably be part of
trying to *explain* someone making a lethally bad choice, but in no
way *excuses* the person who makes that choice.

Alyssa

Bio:
Alyssa is an Autistic college student preparing for a year abroad in China. She makes geometric designs, some of which are Autism Acceptance type designs because she’s quite happy being Autistic and all. She also writes poetry sometimes, and she makes some of her own clothing.

Flap

Large hands, loud hands,

Flappy flappy happy hands,

Spread arms, flapping arms,

Telling the world of my joy.

An obsessive joy, you say?

Perhaps.

But JOY.

Do not begrudge my happiness.

Do not prevent its expression.

I will flap.

Large Acceptance Design

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Bryan J. Merandi

Bryan J. Merandi was born in Brooklyn in 1979 and was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder at an early age. He specializes in photography, drawing, photo editing, collage and reproducing digital art with pen and paper. He is strongly influenced by abstract art, surrealism and contemporary graphic design. Bryan has been involved in the autistic community for many years, is a member of GRASP and the JCC’s Adaptations program, spoke at AHA’s annual conference in 2006, and has received employment services through Jobpath. He currently works as an administrative assistant in a matrimonial law firm.

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Tony Nakamoto

Jack Gunthridge Fiction and Video

Jack Gunthridge was born in Salem, Missouri. He spent his childhood not knowing he was autistic. To counter his shyness and reluctance to socialize with his peers, his parents introduced him to music, literature, visual arts, and crafts. In the seventh grade, he started writing screenplays. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Film Studies.

His second feature film, Fairy Tale Romance, won Best Experimental film at the Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai, India. Although he has written, directed, produced, and edited a few more independent film and video projects after this, he has been devoting the majority of his time lately to writing and publishing books.

He accomplished all of this without knowing he was on the autism spectrum. He has only officially been diagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome within the past year. He plans on continuing to write and work on projects that interest him. Not having grown up with the autism label, he prefers to describe himself as an artist that happens to be autistic. His works are not inherently about autism or contain autistic themes.

Emo Love Poem
By
Jack Gunthridge

I was going to kill myself today. I’m not sure what the reason was, or even if I want to tell you anyway. I know that you probably don’t care, even if I explained the problem, so I will just tell you how I failed. That should make you happy since you like to believe that I’m a failure.
First I prayed to God to just take me. I thought this was fail proof. Plus it’s quick, easy, and painless. You drop dead, and that’s that. But even God didn’t want me. That’s how unlovable I am. So I got in my car and decided that I was going to run a red light and hit another car on purpose. I was sure that I could do this. I was prepared to do this, except that every time I changed the station I heard “How to Save a Life”. I couldn’t kill myself to a song that is about suicide. It would make my death too commercialized. Plus, I started to think that I really did love my car and didn’t want anything to happen to it. And I thought that taking out somebody else might make me like a suicide bomber. I didn’t want people to think that I was a radical atheist or anything, so I started to find other ways to kill myself.
The problem was that I have a fear of sharp objects, so that took out razor blades, swords, and knives.
I was going to hang myself, but I thought that I would rather have people say that I was hung and not hanged. Plus if I came back as a ghost, I didn’t want a ghost noose around my neck for the rest of my life.
I was going to use a gun, but I’ve never fired a gun. I’m not a hunter and have never seen the point of killing an animal. Plus I didn’t want my brains splattered across the room.
I was going to overdose on something I found in the medicine cabinet, but I have a hard time swallowing pills and didn’t think that Pepto Bismal would kill me.
I was going to jump off a bridge, but then I thought that the water was probably polluted. Plus I don’t like to be in cold water. And I enjoy hot tubs too much to ever want to drown myself in one.
And as I went through the list of every way to kill myself, I found that they didn’t suit me. If I’m going to die, I’m going to make sure that it fits my personality. I know that you think this is an excuse and that the real reason I didn’t kill myself was because I’m a coward and couldn’t do it. You might even think I found a reason to live, which I didn’t. I just decided that the best way for me to kill myself was by getting old. I figured it’s the greatest act of defiance I could do that would piss you off the most.

Check out the Magnificent Paulette Penzvalto and her website

Amy Sequenzia

My Autistic Fingers

They are impatient and restless
They stim
The connections with my brain sometimes flawed
They await the sign

Fingers connected to a weak hand
Itself connected to a stubborn arm
Motor coordination is deficient
The fingers long for liberation

The brain sees it all but feels hopeless
The body it inhabits refuses to comply
Letters and words projected like a movie
Stories to tell, minds to blow

My autistic fingers must remain alert
For my autistic brain never rests
A moment, an open connection
That’s all it takes

Freed from the obstinate body
The words and sentences flow with passion
From brain to fingers, a connection
Communication ensues
Copyright 2013 by Amy Sequenzia

Jennifer Garcia, Adaptations member who is on the Autism spectrum

The universe filled with billions of stars millions of thoughts running through my head.
How do the night become the most beautiful sight of light yet it seems lonely looking at it from the hills where does heaven protory and hell lie? Now there are more questions asked and no way to an answer all of it

It’s quiet in the house the sound of the fire burning in the place I found to be soothing time seem to stand still saw a dime on the wood floor by the couch with a table in front of it. It’s feels empty because you’re gone we have done a lot together on this earth but unsure where you will go from here

I cry I try to understand why but as the tears ran down my face like rain from the forest years go by like a flash cross the sky dears running freely in the woods there I stood still don’t know to gain strength as a bodybuilder competing in a grand stage

What’s out there upon earth should we be scared or curious? Do we find a door in front of us? All there to do is move on as a dove flies and love is never too late for a mate life is like a rate you pay by then die yet the world tie another human to come down on thee

How does one creator make all of us with all our features personally traits and gifts? Now whom and why he choose the ones that help raise his kids anyways I’m tired let the sun rise tomorrow

Rachel Silverman’s blog

Jesus Gil

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Kiley Quinn who is active in the autistic community in the Portland area.

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Nicholas Muhlestein

Hello, and my name is Nicholas Muhlestein, and I am on the autism spectrum. I was born in Provo, Utah on November 4, 1994, the oldest of four children. I’ve lived in Utah, Oregon, Washington State, Arizona, North Carolina, and now Idaho. Growing up, I loved to play the guitar, use my electronic keyboard, go to the beach, write the alphabet at 3 years of age, play on the computer so much that my parents named me “wiz kid,” hit a ball to the other side of my grandparents’ house, shoot baskets almost every shot in a toy basketball basket, go to several special preschools for my autism, play with hamsters and Yugioh, build my own K’nex and Tinker Toy creations, play baseball, hang out with my best friend in Arizona who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, go Geocaching, and practice archery and fencing.
Now, I have graduated from high school with a cumulative 3.87 GPA in Meridian, Idaho. Currently, my interests include electronic music producing, philosophy, psychology, sociology, exercising, culture, anthropology, history, art, autism awareness and advocacy, my family history, politics, astrology, animation, cinema, technology, engineering, being different, furry and cute animals, reading material online, watching good YouTube videos, visiting my uncle and my maternal grandparents, doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, writing in my personal journal, and listening to underground electronic music.
In the near future, I am going to get my license so that I can drive by myself. I am also applying for scholarships and trying to find a job nearby so that I can earn enough money for a 2-year church service mission. After the mission, I will major in Computer Engineering at BYU-Idaho and obtain a career in the computer engineering industry.

The Immaculate Representation that Once Was

As blood is burning throughout the daytime cynicism
We solemnly pledge of allegiance with great lyricism
To the leaders who fought for our freedom with stellar enthusiasm
How can we forget that America’s freedom is a truism?

Civil liberty besieged by egoistic relevance divided
passing side by side, whoever should become indicted?
Topical warfare brings the utmost rash beginnings
Their physical aggressiveness trigger their desired winnings

“Push! Push!” The alliances exclaim in diligence
Together, they balance their emotional brilliance
Bullets whizzing and rusting through the air
How can we say that this is not fair?

High and mighty their sovereignty is between them
Their wisdom ricocheting for others to condemn
Slowly, they transform into pure negligence
To amplify their animal instincts towards dominance

How can their friendships prevail in these mundane circumstances
When neither of them can proceed through their advances?
Their insides churning being chastised by God’s hand
The armies cannot keep up with the stress of demand

When will they be relieved of their tortuous lifestyle
When dead bodies pile up and create the smell of bile?
Who will restore their principles and humanity
When their morals are deep in vanity?

Coming from a log cabin enthusiast and abolitionist
Abraham Lincoln steps in to nourish them like a nutritionist
Candid in his appearance with his stylish stove-pipe hat because…
He is the Immaculate Representation that Once Was

As the war comes to a close with Lincoln standing
Many Americans and blacks view him as positively commanding
But the reason why many of them respect him so much is because…
He is the Immaculate Representation that Once Was

“The Great Emancipator,” as he was named of honor
Everyone greeted him as their political father
With the war over and many slaves free because…
He is the Immaculate Representation that Once Was

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Emanuel Frowner’s first plane trip ever visiting Washington D.C.

On Wednesday June 5, I was very excited because I got to the JFK airport between 8:30-9am. But I was feeling a bit nervous because I did not know how long it would have taken me to be all set to board my flight. I showed the security officers my photo ID and my boarding pass. I checked one bag because it was too big to put above my seat on the plane. After I was scanned, I found out that I had to leave 3 items behind because they were above 3 ounces. However, I was not perturbed by that. I got to the gate about 2 hours before the boarding time. At this point, I was very excited and anxious. I was happy to finally be getting on the plane and I had the window seat. The plane took off at noon and I had my headphones on to cope with any possible fears I might have had. From above, I saw the big clouds, the nice green trees, the forest and the roads. I felt blessed to have seen those things from a different view for the first time in my life. I got to Dulles Airport at around 1:30pm and it took me a little while to get my big bag because it was in the carousel. I got to the Westin Washington Dulles Hotel between 2-2:30pm and I checked in to my room. I was a bit tired, so I rested for a bit.
I saw the White House, the Capitol, The Smithsonian Institution of American History and the Air Space museum, WWII memorial and The Lincoln Memorial. I felt very nostalgic when I saw the old train cars from 50 years ago at the Smithsonian Institute. I also felt good when I was at the Air Space Museum when I saw the different concepts of physics, such as air pressure, gravity, etc. This took me back to the days when I was homeschooled. I felt happy that I saw the Lincoln memorial because he had done so many great things such as abolish slavery before his life was taken from him. I would have been even happier if I had gotten a chance to go to the MLK monument. MLK was the leader of the Civil Rights movement as he made many powerful speeches and fought against segregation. He also paved the way for us to have the rights we have today. I was also a bit displeased that I could not get inside the Washington Monument because it was under construction because of the earthquake that took place in 2011. But there is always a next time.
The next morning, I packed up my things and I checked out of the hotel. The flight went very well for me back to JFK. I was a bit sad because I was having a good time there and I did not want to leave. However, I was happy to be back in NYC.
I was happy to have taken this trip because it helped me gain even more independence. The whole experience was a change of scenery for me from the usual and I really enjoyed it. I did not let the rain dampen my spirits. I was pleased I figured out the whole transportation system in D.C./Virginia quickly. I was also content that I planned this on my own terms and it definitely will not be the last time. One day, maybe I can assist a few others, whom have never taken a flight before, to stay strong and to cope with possible fears they may have.

Adam, 12 year old son to Elizabeth Bolme

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 Destinee Jenkins’ 3 year old son, Kyle

Kyle artwork

Tobey Connor and her 5 year old son

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Sybelle Silverphoenix and her IMDB page too! 

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Zach Richter
Zach Richter is a 23 year old queer autistic stutterer from Newtown, Connecticut and will be starting his Masters of Science in Disability Studies at University of Illinois Chicago this fall. Zach has been drawing and writing poetry since his high school. Additionally, Zach maintains a blog called That Autistic That Newtown Forgot where he writes about experiences with impairment, disability and ableism.

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Jane Strauss, participant from last year

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Sparrow Jones

Sparrow is a middle-aged autistic writer, textile artist, and musician who lives in a semi-rural western American town with her cat, Fermat, and her rats, Frequency and Amplitude. She can sometimes be found blogging as Unstrange Mind.

http://sparrowrose.bandcamp.com/track/katastrofi

http://sparrowrose.bandcamp.com/track/squirrels-in-zo

http://sparrowrose.bandcamp.com/track/machine-made-voice-3

http://sparrowrose.bandcamp.com/track/fermat


http://12in12x12.bandcamp.com/track/sparrowrose-oceans-of-time

Jean-Louis Hetu

Jean-Louis HĂ©tu is a twelve-year old boy with autism who commenced painting at the age of eight. It was at this time that the need for an activity to restore his mental health, self-esteem and general well-being was identified. Jean-Louis found that activity in art, particularly in the medium of painting. Through painting, Jean-Louis was not only able to gradually recover his health, but also his ability to concentrate for progressively longer periods in order to complete required academic and learning tasks.

The Father and son webpage. http://ozyspectrumart.com/

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