Thursday Afternoon

Good afternoon,
well with the flat cleaned within an inch of it's life, I was going out to get the washing in before the rain and take the rubbish out and then go down to the post office.
I got a bit diverted.

I have mentioned the special needs art centre before? And for some reason I was brave enough to lock my bike outside and go in, I was greeted warmly and put at ease. I was registered, and I did my first art session, ever.

As you may know, I work well with art therapy, even though I have no skill. I grew up without going to school and was thus not taught art, as neither of my parents knew any art.
When I went to college and ever since, I have not had money or time for art materials, and thus have never even learned the basics. I like drawing, doodling, and the little cartoons that helped me to learn to communicate, but although I am a great fan of art and the artist community, I never had a chance to do art.

So, here we have an easily accesible SEN Art centre, and so I have finally gone in and registered as at the moment I am not meeting my socializing side of care management and I have always wanted to learn art and never knew if I had any ability.

I learned something interesting about me and art.

Well we started with basics, with a teacher trained in learning difficulties, who has other autistic clients.
She got me drawing lines and shapes, and found that I consistently slant everything a certain way. She asked about my learning difficulties, and fascinatingly, I slant everything a certain way because I have learning difficulties, this is the same as my balance problems, it affected me in the TA and has affected me in many areas of life without me being able to explain why, and now it all makes sense!

The art teacher said it is possible to workon correcting the slant, and she has other clients and a daughter who has similar problems.

Ok, so I lean to the right, I always thought only men had this issue.

Anyway. So we discussed what I am interested in and I like animals and landscapes, so I started drawing animals after doing the basic jugs and cups and things. The plan is for me to start using some of my photography to draw from, and it is interesting because I thought, I can end up drawing some of the things I photograph, a bit like how I enjoy riding a bike even though I used to have a car.

Anyway, I enjoyed my morning, I am not destined to be a great artist but my aims on the SEN sheet are 'to occupy myself, be creative, socialise and have fun' or something. It's the doing, not the outcome.

So, home and I warmed a chicken and bacon pasta bake for lunch and I will go to bed and sleep for a while.

This morning's Jersey question and answer was tough, I went back into the deepest darkness, to where it all really went wrong, and yet this time someone was with me, holding a lantern to shine light and guide me through the darkness and back home.