World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) is observed every year in April. Patrick McCallister shares some of his insights when he attended an art show in Deland, FL to raise public awareness of autism. The Rickie Report includes some helpful points which enhance not only the experience for the art lover, but increase sales for the artists. WAAD highlights the need to help and improve the quality of life of those with autism so that they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
If you’ve met one person with autism,
you’ve met one person with autism.
April is Autism Awareness Month —
Awareness and Acceptance Are Good For Artists
“Sell them on their fan fiction”
By Patrick McCallister
The artist sold me within 60 seconds!
I didn’t know what I would buy, but within about 60 seconds I knew I was leaving the recent DeLand Outdoor Art Festival with something in my hand, because I met Richard Franklin. I’m going to commit heresy and say I’m not an art buyer. (Well, I don’t think of myself as an art buyer. I’m a middle-aged comic book reader, so that probably technically makes me an art buyer). In the last seven years I’ve been to three art shows only because my sister-in-law was exhibiting at them, and I had friends who wanted to go. I’ve purchased at two. So, what did the sellers do that got me — an arts “scrooge” — to buy?
I’ve previously talked in “The Rickie Report” about how George Tortorelli, of Medicine Wind Music, seemed to by intuition or background recognize my autism and how he took steps to accommodate me at a Daytona Beach Arts Fest. That was a few years back. Tortorelli didn’t let my visible nervousness about the nearby crowd shake him at all. He ended up getting me behind his table, away from people, as I looked at his wares. I still love the primitive flute I got from him. I’ll buy from him again alla breve.
Oh, and April’s Autism Awareness Month, so I urge folks to look up that article for a few tips about selling to autistic folks.
Today I’m talking about Richard Franklin, of Richard Franklin Fine Arts and our interaction at the most recent DeLand Outdoor Art Festival. He instantly sold me on him, and as a result I bought his art. Here’s how he did it.
When my friend Kathy and I rounded the walkway and I saw into his tent, two adorable girls in front of a rustic American flag were smiling at me. It looked like a page in a graphic novel. I wanted to know their story. I stepped away from Kathy without a word — I’m still autistic — to get a better look. Fortunately, Kathy’s understanding about my spectrum quirks, and she went on figuring I’d catch up.
Franklin seems to get that the two girls, “United,” is a universally appealing piece. He proverbially framed that painting in his tent for maximum visibility. When I got into his tent, I couldn’t help but to look around. I felt like I was standing in a graphic novel. Franklin gave me a bit. Then he introduced himself.
The first words out of my mouth were something along the lines of, “Do you do comic books?” In hindsight, I realize that was an unfiltered remark that could have been insulting to some artists. Franklin seemed to recognize that graphic novels and comic books are my art interest. “No,” he replied. Paraphrasing here, he continued, “That’s not something I’ve done. You think I should?”
What Franklin did in a few words was to tell me he respected my art preferred art medium — comic books — and got me talking about his art in my interest. He kept the conversation there — how his art falls into my interest in graphic novels and comic books.
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Franklin asked sincere questions.
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None seemed forced or manipulative.
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It was a natural conversation, and he was willing to imagine his art in a medium other than the one he’s chosen for the purposes of talking to me.
At no point did Franklin need to make a close on me. I’m the one who brought up purchasing options. And, I’ve been looking at his website considering others to buy. www.richardfranklinfinearts.com
Artists, listen for and get into your lookers’ interests in your art. How do they see it? What does it evoke for them? Your art is your story, but everyone who looks at it inwardly writes their fan fiction. That’s what they’re buying, so sell it to them.
To raise Autism Awareness, we must first become informed. The aim of sharing this is to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world.
Patrick conveys, “There’s a moral to this whole story. Awareness, acceptance, adaption, and accommodation = art sales”.
He adds,”It’s difficult to summarize autism, which is why “spectrum” was added to the diagnostic terminology — autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a developmental condition usually typified by weakened social drives, which often shows as social awkwardness. This is most often accompanied by other manifestations such as delayed, underdeveloped verbal communication, sensory problems, often aversion to sounds, and others, such as repeated gestures referred to as “stimming.” Some recoil from calling autism a “disorder,” and prefer terms such as “neurodiversity.” In diagnostic terms, “disorder” simply means someone’s learning or mental processing is different from norms.
Some people with autism live and work autonomously with varying levels of support. Others can’t. Patrick tells us, “What makes a huge difference between an autistic adult being able to live and work independently, or needing lifelong care, is the presence or lack of an aware, accepting and accommodating society”.
Readers cannot take Patrick’s narrative and use it as a template for identifying other autists. He shares, ” Yes, ‘autist’ is a dictionary word for someone with autism. If you’ve met one autist …you’ve met one autist! There are some general clues you are talking with an autist, for example when the person seems bothered by sounds or movements. They may have a tendency to look away while speaking or have a tendency to articulate a specialized knowledge without apparent regard to social norms”.
Our take-away from this?
Fortunately it doesn’t take specialized knowledge to converse with those with autism. Watch and listen to people and follow their cues. This works for everything from affective disorders, such as depression, to anxiety disorders and mental-heath conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. You’ll meet people with all of these and many more, when displaying art. Throw “weird” out of your thinking and replace it with “uncommon” and let those ‘less common’ customers lead you to how to interact with, and sell to, them.
Patrick reminds us, “We love and want art, too”.
Patrick McCallister is a longtime journalist who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 1993. Like a lot of people with developmental differences, he hid the diagnosis for years. Today he advocates for people with disabilities in various areas, but especially transportation.
For more information:
In 1970, the Autism Society launched an ongoing nationwide effort to promote autism awareness and assure that all affected by autism are able to achieve the highest quality of life possible. In 1972, the Autism Society launched the first annual National Autistic Children’s week, which evolved into National Autism Awareness Month (NAAM). This April, we continue our efforts to spread awareness, promote acceptance, and ignite change.
The Autism Society of America, the nation’s oldest leading grassroots autism organization, is is proud to celebrate National Autism Awareness Month in April 2020 with the its new “Celebrate Differences” campaign. Designed to build a better awareness of the signs, symptoms, and realities of autism, #CelebrateDifferences focuses on providing information and resources for communities to be more aware of autism, promote acceptance, and be more inclusive in everyday life.
The Autism Society recognizes that the prevalence of autism in the United States has risen from 1 in 125 children in 2010 to 1 in 59 in 2020 – recognizing this continued increase, the goal for NAAM is to further increase awareness about autism signs, symptoms and opportunities through: information and referrals, events, printable and digital resources, and community partnerships with businesses and organizations dedicated to building inclusive experiences.
The Autism Society has a variety of resources designed to inform and encourage communities to celebrate differences, and become more inclusive of individuals with autism. The campaign will overlap with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd, and continue throughout the month. These resources will be made available on social media for sharing as well as on www.autismawarenessmonth.org for download.
Being a part of a community and feeling included is extremely important in people’s lives. Being part of a community doesn’t mean that it has to be necessarily one’s neighborhood/geographic community. People can experience and explore different communities by traveling and/or taking vacations. People can meet new people and try new things when they go to various camps or retreats. Some may find community among a religious belief they share with others.
There are many communities in which people can be a part of such as work and/or social communities which are centered on leisure activities or hobbies. But being a part of any of these communities does not mean simply that the individual is present. To have true community inclusion, the individual needs to be participating and accepted by the other individuals. Becoming a part of any community takes time and effort. Individuals will have to learn practices of the community and have to get accustomed to new things and people. Similarly, the members of the community will have to learn and get accustomed with the new member. Community inclusion is not always a fast process, especially when it causes people to get out of their comfort zone. But with proper supports and effort, community inclusion is extremely rewarding and life-altering. www.autism-society.org
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