Chalk Festival Photo Essay by Jerry O’Brien

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huge love and thanks to our wonderful friend and supporter Mr. Jerry O’Brien. Your photographs truly captured OUR DAY! You are a strong uniting force as we lovingly team up to CELEBRATE DIFFABILITIES!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a Mom

That’s me, one of the many million lucky beings on this planet.  Today is our day to celebrate that label of fate or not! We all have memories and stories we share about our origins. “Our Mothership” lol. Some wonderful and others, not so wonderful.  The older I become the more I see the depth of the language people choose and the concepts not always seen at first glance. I no longer skim over words and thoughts a person reveals. I carefully contemplate and assign energy to each and every layer of their process. People do say what they mean when you listen deeply. Our Mother’s become so integral as to how we see ourselves and define our futures. Reading the thoughts and experiences from friends on-line today have me contemplating it all. Motherhood and all that is demanded and expected from it. YIKES, when you think it through you may be finding a day ‘assigned’ to that a bit overwhelming!

 

Mom on a mission, Super Mom, Warrior Mom…Autism Mom??…NO, I like to keep it simple. Just a Mom. That is enough.

 

 

 

 

God saw fit to bring Wyatt into my life to inspire me. Inspire me to take my energy into a field of thought. A field of thought needing to be written by many Autistic people; Mom’s, Fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters and sons. Authentically written from the depths of what instincts are telling us. Change your perspective about your energy in the universe. Your origin your perception your mothership.

 LOVE is instinctual. Looking at things from ALL ANGLES is learned!!

The Third Time Was Charming!

 

 

 

 

 

It has been 2 full weeks since our 3rd Annual Awareness Chalk~Art Festival ! A huge thanks to all of the many wonderful friends, artists, sponsor/partners and politicians  that have joined us along the way creating this cutting edge day! For the last 3 yrs in a row the 2nd Saturday in April has shown, and shown bright. Not in the rays of blue light, that

people have become conditioned to associate with Autism. For us ‘Autism Shines’ in a rainbow of colors. Colors sometime light, sometimes dark and sometime bright.  It has shown people that it IS okay to be different. To be who we are in a rainbow of colors in a rainbow of behaviors and in a rainbow of ideas and trains of thought. So much difference to celebrate and support.

 

 

Beautiful ART, Inspiring speeches and acknowledging presentations by Senator Ed Hernandez, Mayor of Covina Walter Allen III Council Member Jorge Marquez made us feel very accepted and appreciated!!

Music by Who’s Clayton was the talk of the event. Kevin Rose, Josh Elmore and Darryl Black are on to something very good! Their original music and awesomely fun twists on old favorites made everyone’s day! Having their good vibrations floating through the air was amazing to say the least.

http://music.whosclayton.com/

If you haven’t heard of them yet you will. We are very honored to have had their super-star performance while creating our stellar ART! They were a perfect addition to our fun. After lead singer Kevin Rose won a GRAND PRIZE Conga drum during the raffle we sure hope they will be our Festival band for life!

After a day of Chalk and Play a much awaited magical  moment for our San Gabriel Valley kids!! The one and only Ms. Keri Bowers drumming up the amazing inspiration and interaction to connections she holds. TRULY MAGICAL!! Keri has an intuitive way of opening spectrum kids up to possibility. She speaks to ALL of our rocking ‘different drummers’ in ways they can hear the beat! Keri@normalfilms.com

 

 

Our sponsors pulled out all of the stops AGAIN!!

Donating cash, products, services and PRIZES!! AMAZING COMPANIES!! Local & On-Line!! Please Support them!

What a way to wrap up the event…with something fun for everyone to try and win…These organizations are winners to champion OUR DAY!! We thank you all greatly!

 

 

We had an amazing crew of volunteers that brought and set up tables, student volunteers helping with strong supportive hands. Friends putting their heart into our ART! We owe so much to so many helpful, talented and giving friends. Our hats are off to all of you! We could never have done it with out you! We LOVE and honor ”Team Chalk!”

 Last year’s guest appearance of Aspie Artist Silke Heyer from Germany was fondly remembered….and LOOK she and her recruits fondly remembered US. Chalking along side of us from where they stand on this fantastic planet.

Universal Good Vibrations…Chalk festival #1 Braunschweig Germany!

 

The connection through Art and Autism had us thinking on the same plane literally….California via Germany. With out telling our good friend and partner Silke the plan of wanting  a “Yellow-Brick Road” painted through-out the grounds of the event. (With alas, no time to bring it to life in California) My highly intuitive partner and kindred spirit in ART took care of that WISH in a most beautiful  and telepathic way!

 STUNNING ON MANY LEVELS…..

Follow the Yellow-Brick Road…& CHALK with us…EVERY April on the 2nd SATURDAY!

 

Thank you again to all of the colorful friends that are taking this glorious path to acceptance with

us. SEE YOU next year!

 

 

 NEXT BLOG: PHOTOS from PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Jerry O’Brien!!!

 

 

 

1 in 50

A study recently places the numbers for occurrence of Autism at 1 in 50 births.

Many will use this to sound alarms and drum up negative attention. Scaring people into that old familiar ”Fear Awareness” as we head toward the month of April again.

 

Be afraid the numbers are growing…help us to stop it now.

This sentiment has been causing pain. People that think they are helping are harming. Imagine yourself as the “IT” in that sentence. Now, read the sentence again.

 

When we can get past this tactical train of thought designed to garner sympathy and donations. We will be winning awareness, real awareness. We need real truths about Autism passed around during the month people are willing to entertain ‘our stories.’ Stories about differences and the changes that can be made to make these differing styles people have more comfortable. Help us to understand the sensory and processing nuances that make us unique to one and other. Become willing and able to accommodate change.

Sadly, we in the Autism community are the ones holding all of the ‘real awareness.’

We, the ones the media does not generally hear.

Big dollar lights and ribbon campaigns flash and wave. What do they signal to their masses ?? Look at me…I am Autism?! I am growing. How does that make anyone aware? How does that build meaningful lives for Autistic people? How does that help you recognize the Autism in your life?

1 in 50 is a bogus report.

I believe Autistics have always been 3% of the population or thereabouts. I believe I have always known Autistic people that were perhaps clumped into ‘other groups’ and not identified as ‘Autistic’…growing up, in school, throughout my entire life. Probably some of my teachers too! I think all Artists have Autistic traits as well as scientists, engineers, mathematicians etc. There have always been Autistics helping to build societies of every culture from the beginning of time. Autism is not a new epidemic.

Human Traits.

We all have this central nervous system that’s ‘wired for speed’ some systems are coated/ protected with built in buffering…some systems are not & feel life in a more raw state.  Some of us have all access to layers of left and right brain action, while others do not. We all have the opportunity to be and feel Autistic. Sensory perceptions, processing styles are normal human reaction as to how one copes with the streams of stimuli constantly happening.

 Interpreting and reacting to loads of daily data. The difference being our kids/adults on the spectrum are wired to always be ‘in that mode’ amplified or de-amplified. Permanently feeling and thinking about things differently. ‘NT’s (Neuro-typicals) have meltdowns and struggle with processing all of the time. We are more alike than generally believed.  To me 1 in 50 says: We have FINALLY learned the basics of brains and behavior. How our minds and bodies link to our central nervous system to perceive the world. How those differences drive all behavior and how we can  recognize “it” in all people if we look.

So be aware that AUTISM is more human than not and perhaps, 1 in 50 are super-human.