The Power of Art: How My Autistic Son Saved Me

I always felt I'm in the wrong place professionally. When I finished the army (yes, I was in the army but that's another story) I went to university and studies Social Sciences like I was expected to. It's not that I wanted to study something else, I didn't know what I wanted but instead of stopping and thinking about it I did what was expected of me.

When you start a path in life then you go on it and everything in your life aligns with it. The job you find is a continuation of that path and my job was in civil service. First the police and then the foreign ministry. A 9 to 5 job in an office, with a boss which was the logical natural place to be after getting a degree in Social Sciences. The thing about paths is that you walk on it until you reach an intersection and then you can decide if you want to continue on your path or take another one. The problem is sometimes you miss the intersection completely and you just keep on walking. But the universe is smart it puts that intersection in your path again and again but eventually if you still don't see it it makes you see it! And that is exactly what happened to me...

I had a beautiful baby boy. At first everything was fine,he did what every baby is supposed to do. But with time we started to noticed some things are not as they were supposed to be. Finally we got a diagnosis: Autism. My son is autistic. Being the practical person that I am I immediately started to work: taking him to therapists, pshycologists, putting him in a special needs education system and so on. He flourished. Making huge progress every day. But slowly I realized working in the foreign ministry meant living abroad, going to a different country every few years, that was not a way to live with an autistic child who needs stability more than anything.
I had two choices: stay and be cooped up in an office for the rest of my professional life or leave. I left. I decided my son's well being and development is more important than my career. But what am I suppose to do now? I need to find some kind of a job...

"When God closes a door, somewhere open a window" This saying is the best way to describe what happened next. One day I discovered the word scrapbooking and searched it on Google. I was shocked to find an amazing world I knew nothing about, but immediately knew this is what I wanted to do. That was the first step in my new professional life as an artist and designer. I started a business for custom designing scrapbooks and the rest is history.

So what actually happened? My autistic son was my wake up call. He was the one that opened my eyes to the intersection in front of me and made me choose the right path. I know now this is the path I'm supposed to walk on, this is what I'm supposed to do in this world. But there's more... not only did he show me my true path he gave me the tools to help him. By being an artist I have an outlet for my feelings and frustrations and I have a place to process them. And by doing that I'm a better mother to him, more patient, understanding and able to cope with whatever comes my way. Art is truly powerful I see it everyday and i wouldn't have found it if it wasn't for my son.

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The Power of Art

Scientific studies tell us that art heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude. The body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity and inspiration. Art put a person in a different brain wave pattern and affect a person's autonomic nervous system, their hormonal balance and their brain neurotransmitters.

I have used art to deal with some difficult things in my life and I found all of the above to be absolutely true! It doesn't matter what type of art you do, which project or what size. It is the artistic mode that gives you the power to deal with life's moments.

In The Power of Art series I will share with you how I did it and what helped me through my difficulties and joys.

I found two art forms for my creative outlet: scrapbooking and art journaling.

Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is all about people, which makes it the perfect way to vent and deal with people related difficulties. My difficulty was and still is my kids. Dealing with the teenage years drama, coping with my son's Autism and also embracing the amazing love I have for them and the fun memories we have. Here's a page I created about the terrible hardships of teenage years...

Art Journaling
Art journaling is a free artistic place where I could  pour my heart out, work through my issues and just create without judgment.  The paper accept everything and creating an art journaling page is one of the most freeing art forms I know. Here's a page I created when I was hurt by someone I thought was a friend. I was very upset and angry.

The point of art is to express ourselves. Letting out stuff and venting is therapeutic and healing. I realized how powerful art is when I read this comment to one of my video tutorials:  "I am new to art journaling. I began after the death of my son last November. I have watched many tutorials, and am completely addicted to your style, and ease. I have always been a perfectionist, which kept me from doing anything creative. When my son died, I needed an outlet, and mixed media was a choice that let me express my grief with all my imperfections. Until now, it's all been dark art. You have inspired me, and I am trying to try to leave my comfort zone, use some bright colors, and have more lighthearted fun. Art journaling has saved my sanity this past year. And, you have been an inspiration. I love your videos and teaching style. Thanks for the tips and inspiration!"

You don't need to go through something this difficult to experience the power of art. It can be a bad day at work, a comment from someone, a problem with your kid or an insecurity you have. It can also be a breakthrough you've had, a rewarding experience, a loving new relationship or a lovely sunny day. Just express your feelings in art and feel its power!

I'll be sharing the Power of Arts posts about the projects I create using art as a creative outlet.

How do you cope with your difficulties and joys?

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Have fun creating!