In My Nature
Sustainable Art and Autism
James Owen Thomas
Herbert Press
The worth of this book
Monty Don, a well known writer, gardener and - I hate the title but ‘personality’ in his own right (admittedly one of my own loves) had chosen to write the forward to this title. He encountered this man of the arts during a film made on James for Gardeners World. His summary of what James is ‘about’, draws us, the readers in. I felt that this said something not only about the artist, but about Don as a person. Genuine - this gave me trust - a sense of security that this title was worth something more. But what?
A sense of a man - view the person
We live in a world where we are faced with the message - anyone is allowed - but really, is this practiced? Or as we walk, as we reside with others, do we define? So much is said about Autism, which is here a part of this artist and his work. Sometimes I feel that ones who have Autism are viewed as an NHS symptom checker. Seen as bullet points, generalities - lost of humanism as soon as the diagnosis is prescribed. Having had personal insight - I have quite a few friends as examples - all the ‘oh they are…’ ‘oh they don’t…’ can be thrown out when you have this first hand enlightenment.
My point? Be a Monty, not an assumer. Appreciate the person, the artist, not what they may have. In fact, forget they have it. (end of side rant)
Monty by taking the forward, helps to channel out thinking into the arts and environmental side, ready for James to draw us in.
What is this book about?
The book really, becomes a celebration of how one man used his love of nature and turned it into an art form, so recognisable as by his hand.
He is a man who is described as ‘devoted’ to creation, blessed with a gift of being able to make sense of this world and at the same time describe it in a new form through his art.
Within his own introduction, he calls art his ‘best friend’, which could be noted as either a sad comment or a happy one. He is not here describing himself a fellow human or even animal form of best friend - his is a thing which is technically dead. Yet he makes it seem living.
We see this through the copious images of his work which illustrate the book. Not just a selected curated finesse, no we see the make up stages too, although this is no how to.
Autism is his superpower
Within the personal interview, I enjoyed the answers he gave regarding how autism helped his in his work. Many who had no experience of this may imagine that it could be a stopped, a diagnosis which made it difficult to do ‘normal’ things. Yet take this as evidence in his answer: ‘Creating a collage needs lots of patience….I tell people that I like to create order out of disorder’. Making art is his ‘comfort’.
He is open about his life, his processes and all the themes he enjoys working with - we get it all in this book. At no point though did I associate this man AS autism. He is simply an artist, who like most of us has some battle - we get on, he gets on. End of.
Who will this book suit?
I have no idea what it is like in reality to have a child who has Autism - so if you are in this category and maybe want insight and a little reassurence, this book is perfect.
As an artist and writer myself, I simply enjoyed it for the sake of an arts book. It did have extra interest because I do have friends with Autisim, but thats not why I read it.
For those who are newly diagnosed and want hope that they can succeed in life…this is a great role model tool.
An honest man
He is open about having this alongside his life and art. He does not look for patronising, he is simply here to be respected as a man, writer, artist and enviromentalist.
What we can learn and take from this book
Inspiration.
My favourite section on page 151 (Armchair Traveller) describes something we can all do - journey in our minds. He has never wanted to go to say America, yet he can be taken there by his friends who will tell him what it is like, even sending over images. He can they make his own study of them. Most of us will never get to visit all the places we want to either - but can we be curious about them? Can we create our own holiday at home, as it were?
Conclusion
Apparently, Jame’s mother was told at his birth that he was always likely to be ‘low’ in fuction. They got that so so wrong. This was a woman of grit who refused to listen. This is a success story, one which should be seen as hope, but not a one time happening.
Let’s all take a lesson from this artist to stop and note the wonderful world we have been given. See the leaves not the trauma. There is a whole earth just waiting for us.