Living With Asperger Syndrome: How Art Helped Hasel Find Her Voice

In this episode of Dis-labled, we meet Hasel, an artist who shares her journey of living with Asperger's syndrome (AS) and how art has transformed her confidence, communication and wellbeing.

Hasel explains how she discovered art during lockdown, why creativity helps her express herself, and how drawing and painting have helped her connect with others. We also hear Carol's beautiful poem My Place and discuss how opening up on the podcast has helped us find our voices and build confidence.

00:00:00 - Start
00:01:13 - Intro
00:01:56 - We meet Hasel
00:02:26 - What's going on?
00:13:09 - How does making art help?
00:15:02 - How art has helped Hasel's Aspergers
00:17:14 - Aspergers is a hidden disability
00:17:34 - How art has helped Hasel's confidence
00:20:22 - Art as therapy
00:22:30 - The future
00:23:57 - Poetry Corner
00:26:27 - Final Thoughts

If you enjoy the episode, please like, subscribe and share to help more people discover Dis-labled.

Project Managers: Andrea Rai & Phil Powell.

Editor: Phil Powell

Project Managers: Andrea Rai & Phil Powell
Editor: Phil Powell

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund for supporting our Dis-labled podcast. Learn more about their amazing work: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

All enquiries: podcast@communityfocus.co.uk
Website: https://www.communityfocus.co.uk/

Theme Music: Rastko Rasic & the students of Community FocusOther Music: Jazzy Frenchy by ⁠⁠⁠Benjamin Tissot

Transcript

Start

Speaker 9 0:07

Community focus. Community focus. We're here for you.

Speaker 8 0:14

Our point of you. At five o'clock. You're talking.

Speaker 2 0:24

A weekend with you. We're here for you. Yay! Hooray! Hooray!

unknown 0:34

Hooray! Hooray!

Carol 0:42

Community Focus is an art centre for children and adults with disabilities. We are based in the borough of Barnet, North London and offer a selection of creative and well-being activities for all ages.

Phillip R 0:58

In the room we have Bye bye. Hello.

Jonathan 1:05

Carol Jonathan. And Maria.

Intro

Jonathan 1:14

In today's episode, we interview the incredible artist Hasselle, who began creating art during lockdown and now produces a new piece almost every day. She opens up about living with Asperges and shares how painting and drawing have boosted her confidence and helped her express herself more clearly. We are treated to another poem by Carol, titled Memories or My Place. A gentle reflection on the places and moments that bring her peace, joy and a deep sense of belonging. Lastly, the group reflects on how burying their souls on the show over the past two years has helped them in both positive and challenging ways.

We meet Hasel

Phillip R 1:57

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our show. In today's show we've got we got a special guest, Hassel, who's a great artist.

Hasel 2:07

Well I'm really pleased to be here and it'll be interesting to hear about some of your questions. It's a new experience, so um I hope I enjoy it.

What's going on?

Phillip R 2:26

What's going on, Babak?

Babak 2:29

Um nothing's going on.

Phillip R 2:32

It is hot today. It's just it's uncomfortable. Phil, what's going on? Well, at the moment, it's too hot. I'm hot. I'm hot and sweaty. I could do it with nice cold bo cold water on my on my face. Do you like this weather? No, I do not. Yesterday when I came home from community focus, I was so hot. I had to have a shower. And last night, can you sleep in this heat? No. Too hot. It's too hot. So can you s how do you feel in this weather?

Hasel 3:08

Um, yeah, I do feel hot and sweaty. I have to drink more. Um, wear less cloth clothing. Um bit more reluctant to go for long walks because it's hot as well.

Phillip R 3:21

So England has never been this hot. I think we're in the middle of a heat wave. What's going on, Carol?

Carol 3:32

So lately the weather's been hot and I'm not really a big fan of the heat. I mainly like it being when it's like windy and like sunny at the same time, like breezy. So I'm more for like an autumn person in the spring, but I don't really like the summer or winter, so yeah. Cause like the winter's too cold and the summer's too hot. And but autumn is just fine because it's cold and like breezy. Um but um but the spring it's like I said, it's breezy and sunny. So yeah. And um the weather's beautiful with like the flowers coming out, and autumn has like really nice leaves as they fall from the trees.

Phillip R 4:22

What's going on, Jonathan?

Jonathan 4:26

The heat is exhausting. And it's very demotivating as well, I've got to be honest. But you know, I suppose it makes a change from the rain. So yeah. Well, I suppose a lot of us aren't really accustomed to it being hot, are we? Because it's always so cold and rainy all the time, so you know, I suppose a change is better than none.

Phillip R 4:51

Jonathan, have you done anything else this week besides being bothered about the heat?

Jonathan 4:59

Um yes, I have. I I I have done a a few a few bits and pieces here and there. I did a uh I did one of my group events, and this was a walk, and it was actually a walk that was organised by a group that does uh things with people with um issues like uh uh autism, ADHD, and things like that. And uh interesting thing was I was speaking to one of them and they offhand mentioned that they were also doing a podcast. I can't remember the name of it offhand though, which is really annoying.

Phillip R 5:44

What's the name of this walking group if people want to look it up?

Jonathan 5:49

They are one of the many uh meetup groups you can find on the uh meetup website that's around uh we will look it up and we will put it as a link underneath the show in the description.

Speaker 8 6:05

Fab.

Phillip R 6:07

That was brilliant. Fab is uh ice cream. Um Mia, so what you've been up to then?

Amir 6:22

It's a very hot weather icon and uh sand this weather, yes. It's very good for ice cream.

Phillip R 6:31

What's your favourite ice cream, Amia?

Amir 6:34

One one.

Phillip R 6:36

Mine's um mine's the ones that are stuck together.

Andrea 6:40

Which ones are they?

Phillip R 6:41

I don't know, you get them down you get them down Cruise Hill, don't you? They're stuck together. Instead of getting one ice cream comb, you get two. Yeah. And you get one with a flake in it as well. I knew she brought my ice cream in today. Yeah. Double scoop, yeah. What's going on, Kila, besides being hot and bothered?

Gila 7:05

So I have really bad hay fever and I've since I haven't had it before, but it just literally came on and I just I took perintonies pyritonise. Piritine's peritone. I don't know what it is. Um pyramidise probably and it helped me so much. Um someone recommended it to me. And it if you who have listened to this, if you have really bad hay fever, then get some pyramid knees, and because it will help your eyes and your nose. It's just one spray up your nose, and then you will be good um throughout the day, but then after you take it for a long time, you need to take a break for it to take effect and then go back on. So that is my little tip for if you got hay fever.

Phillip R 8:16

Lastly, our special guest, Hassel.

Hasel 8:21

Um, I'm okay. I'm a little bit tired today because yesterday I did a lot of housework, but I'm happy to be here. It's a new experience. Nice to see people and have conversations with people. Um and listen to the what they have to say and stuff. But it's been interesting.

Phillip R 8:43

Thanks everybody. I took a tablet this morning. It it was a pink one for hay fever because my eyes and my nostril, it looks like what a horse takes. It's like a tranquilizer! It's so big, it's a big, massive tablet. So what made you start making it making art?

Hasel 9:08

So I think it was during COVID. Um there wasn't really um I attended I'd had attended community focus before lockdown, uh, and then they told me about the art classes online and I started to attend them. Um I really enjoyed them, started to draw more and more, and that's sort of when it developed, like I got really more and more kind of into it at that point, and I started to like draw every day, not just in class, but um outside of the lessons, and now I'm like painting as well, and um so I'm painting stuff that I take photos of, like places I visit as well. So um, yeah, that's when it all kind of started, and also it it just it it takes my mind off things, it makes me it lifts my mood. Um so yeah, it was it was particularly during uh the COVID lockdown, that's when it all started.

Phillip R 10:07

Did you do any art before COVID?

Hasel 10:13

So um at Community Focus I did lots of creative writing. I did many of their creative writing classes, so lots of poetry, just writing and stuff, so not much art at all before COVID. Um it hit off during COVID.

Phillip R 10:31

Salhas, so when you began art, what was the first thing that came into your mind that you started to draw?

Hasel 10:42

Um, so it depended on the the classes that I was attending and what they were the subject was. Um so that the subjects, the class subjects was the inspiration, the whole inspiration around the paintings I did and stuff. So if we were learning about a particular topic, then I would do an illustration with it along with some writing about the topic. Um I love to illustrate with my writing, so lots of illustrations with what I've learned in the lessons and stuff. Um, but also it does inspire my paintings. So the topics I learn inspire what I draw as well. So if I'm learning about an animal, for example, um the facts about an animal and stuff, um, then I find then I think about a composition, a painting composition with an animal in it and stuff. So it depends on the subject that I'm learning, um, the facts that I'm learning, and then that kind of inspires my creativity afterwards. Then I I think about compositions to do with that topic as well. What areas do you think you need to improve in art? So um I really like the shading techniques I've been learning in Judith's classes, um, shading from light to dark and stuff like that. Um, but I think I need to improve on my patience because um it involves a lot of patience shading with a pencil. Um, so it you have to increase your pressure on the pencil where it's darker and then decrease it where it's lighter. But I struck really struggle with the medium pressures of the pencil. Um I I don't have I don't think I'm lacking patience in in the medium pressure part. So I think I need to sort of improve on that a little bit, yeah.

Gila 12:35

What is your favourite piece of art you're doing?

Hasel 12:40

I do really like the animals and birds I do because I also learn about them as well. I get given lots of facts about them and stuff. So uh especially leopards, they've got lovely skin, um lovely, lovely dots and stuff. So yeah, I think animals, landscapes as well, love to draw trees, um rivers, sort of um yeah, that kind of thing, and and from time to time I do portraits as well, which is nice.

How does making art help?

Jonathan 13:09

So how does making art help you?

Hasel 13:13

Yeah, if I'm feeling down, um it does lift my mood. Sort of drawing takes me away from my sort of problems and issues and stuff, and yeah, it's like a happy kind of place, really. So I think I think that's what it is. Just uh lifts my mood, it just takes me away from sort of my issues and stuff and problems. So it's a way of escaping. Yeah, and I get to talk about the stuff I sort of do and learn as well. So it's it helps my communication skills a bit as well. So with my family, and and I get to share it with my family, talk about it with family and stuff, and they get to enjoy it as well, so it's nice to and be able to entertain the family with it as well. Um yeah.

Carol 14:05

Has there has there ever been a time when you accidentally ruined your artwork but you were able to improve it by adding something to it?

Hasel 14:17

Yeah, I mean you can mix media with art as well, so um you can paint over mistakes if you're doing acrylics. Um if the proportions are not quite right, you can sort of paint over the mistakes of the proportions with the paint, so you can hide it. So it's easy. With charcoal as well, you can always rub out mistakes um and sort of shade over bits that aren't right as well. So um, yeah, and it's also like I guess when you mix media as well, it's easier to kind of hide things that you're not very happy with and stuff. You can always collage over things that you're not quite happy with and stuff as well.

How art has helped Hasel's Aspergers

Gila 15:02

So, Hasha, what is your disability? And how and has it helped you doing your art to feel less interfacted?

Hasel 15:13

So my disability is Asperger's, um, so I really find it hard to communicate with people, join in in conversations around the table with family and stuff and friends, make friends as well, really. Um so I I've had this, it's been long term for most of my life. Um so it uh art helps me because I get to talk about it, what I've learned with family and friends, and they get to ask questions and I get to respond to those questions, but I also at the same time it helps me sort of communicate with family and friends and ask how they are as well and and what they've been doing and stuff like that. And so it's not just about me, I'm trying to kind of um have more of a relationship with people at home by asking them you know what they've been up to and stuff like that. Um yeah, so it's just it's helps my communication skills definitely.

Gila 16:11

That sounds amazing, and also you've been putting stuff up on social media and I you've just just glued into an artist and I love how you take in exhibitions now and just how vibrant you are now.

Hasel 16:36

Well I really enjoy looking at other people's work as well. So when I'd recently um put my work up in an exhibition at the Arts Depot, I really got inspired by other people's work and how they they did theirs and stuff. So um some of them um were painting off their imagination, they weren't using any particular photos and stuff, and so I've been trying to do that at home as well. Um one guy was painting in dots and stuff, so it was really interesting to see how other people worked and um it gave me lots of ideas as well.

Aspergers is a hidden disability

Phillip R 17:14

I when I when I saw you I didn't know I didn't know you yeah you were dis disabled either, you know?

Hasel 17:21

I think it's a very hidden disability, you can't really see it, so um it's it's kind of invisible for a lot of people. So it's not something that you can really see, which is probably why.

How art has helped Hasel's confidence

Carol 17:34

Before you started doing art, um how do you think your your confidence was um back then to now when you do art? How has your confidence improved?

Hasel 17:51

So I've definitely improved like my communication skills as mentioned before. Um it helps me express myself, talk to people and stuff like that. And I wasn't doing that as much before I started getting into art. So um I've definitely come a long way from then. Yeah. I think um my like when I start first started art, my use of mediums, I was only really using coloured pencils at the beginning, and then it kind of developed into different mediums and stuff like that and different techniques and stuff. So um I've really improved like from using only coloured pencils to the chalk pastels, the charcoal and the paints and stuff. So it's not just coloured pencils now, it's kind of it's increased to all sorts of different materials.

Phillip R 18:44

So I think when you say the word is it mediums, I think you're trying to describe what kind of materials you you use because you went from coloured pencils which can break to charcoal which makes you messy to paint. And what else do you use? Pastels, do you use when you draw? Do you use like pencils and shade them in with the gel pens? Glitter gel pens.

Hasel 19:08

Um no, I kind of do the under sketch with pencil first, and then I start to add the pastels over the top because it kind of blends well with the pencils. So I'm not only just using coloured pencils. At the beginning I was, but now I'm kind of moving on to like all sorts of different sort of mediums, maybe gouache and oil pastels will be ne all and oil paints will be next, I don't know. And I've also learnt like um lino printing as well, lino printing, collage, um embroidery too, so all sorts of different ways of doing things. It's there's so many different ways of doing things with art. Yeah. Yeah, it's true. I mean, I'm not really a messy person. I really like everything tidy and clean and you know, so it does like I mean it it is messy, it's a messy job, but I think when you're doing a painting it's worth it because you the results are lovely at the end, isn't it? So it's worth getting messy for, I think.

Andrea 20:21

Hassel,

Art as therapy

Andrea 20:22

you know how you explained how art helped you in your mental health. If somebody was feeling like you back then, how would you recommend art to them?

Hasel 20:34

So um to help them express how them f they feel, um like some pe some artists do paintings that kind of express their emotions and stuff like that. So they put dark papers, like dark colours. It's a bit like therapy, really. So if you're going to an art therapy session, for example, and you're trying to talk to a therapist about how you feel, then you kind of draw and paint how you feel, I think. And that helps you express to other people how you feel. So like if you're feeling down one day, maybe you you paint lots of dark colours or a dark sky, or if you're feeling really happy. It's just it painting is how you feel paint how you feel. So like it's a bit like painting to music as well. How does the music make you feel? And that's how you can express yourself through painting that helps you express yourself.

Gila 21:26

Um I've got two questions. One is do you like art in school? But other one is do you have a art folder with all your artwork in?

Hasel 21:39

Yeah, I think in school and secondary school, I always got the past grades in art and English as well. So those those were the top subjects and the ones I enjoyed the most, I think, as well. Um I do have a folder of my artwork sort of separated into there's a box as well. It's a box and a folder, boxes and folders. So basically they're separated into different sections. So all the ones from Andrew's online Monday classes are in one section, all the ones from Judith's classes are in another section, and then all the ones from Flo's Wednesday classes are in another section. So they're divided into different groups according to which classes they're from. And then I've also got one section that's for other artwork and workshops. So there may be summer workshops or things that I do outside of the classes as well.

The future

Phillip R 22:30

Where do you see you yourself see yourself in 10 years time, Hassel?

Hasel 22:35

So um maybe my artwork could go into bigger exhibitions, maybe, I don't know, or I could set up a website maybe for my art artwork and people could visit it and stuff like that. Um might be nice to have them if they're good enough to have them for sale and stuff, but we'll see. It might be nice to also, you know, I like to because I think I can teach as well, teach lots of techniques to other people that I've learned as well. So it might be nice to be in a teaching assistant in a class, help a an art teacher with um students in a class develop their artwork and stuff as well. So that might be something I might want to do as well.

Phillip R 23:17

Right, Hassel. We're linear at the end end of the of the interview. Uh on behalf of everyone, I'd like to thank you all. Thank you for coming to talking about us, back talking to us about your your th your um artists or your art. Thanks very much, Hassel.

Hasel 23:38

Oh, you're very welcome. I think it's been a great experience for me as well. I mean, I've never done this before, so it's it's really boosted my confidence too. So thanks thanks to everyone here too.

Poetry Corner

Gila 23:57

And now it's time for Poly Corner.

Andrea 24:02

So today we have one of Carol's famous poems. Go for it, Carol.

Carol 24:08

So this is my first other poem that I did in 2019. It's called Memories slash my place. My place is up in a tree with an old wooden leaf covered treehouse. My place is a few inches away from the tall brown historic tree, like it's about to fall down, with my arms stretched out, while thinking of memories and thought bubbles and flashbacks. My place is looking at the mellow yellow sun that shines in my ocean blue eyes, while feeling the white cold breeze in my natural shiny brown hair blowing in the wind. My place is by myself with my special books of photo albums and videotapes of my childhood, which when you open it magic flows out. It makes me feel relaxed, peaceful, and delightful by Carol.

Andrea 25:12

I imagined everything to my mind, what you said then. So what inspired you to write that poem, Carol?

Carol 25:18

So back in like school, a group, like a company came to our school and we were writing our poems. We were going to like create um something based on themed my place, like a place that makes us feel happy. So I imagine I imagined like a tree house in like the sun, and inside the tree house there's like a box full of memories of childhood, so it like brings you back to when you were little, and then we kind of like presented it to the assembly in school and yeah. Fantastic Carol, thank you so much.

Phillip R 26:11

Final thoughts How did it make you feel when I when you speak about your appearance and everything?

Jonathan 26:20

It's uh it's uh very uh anxiety inducing uh

Final Thoughts

Jonathan 26:27

and it's um it can be a bit stressful because trying to get my thoughts out clearly and concisely and accurately is uh very difficult a lot of the time. You know, especially when uh I know that multiple well in this case many, many people could be hearing it. But it's also quite freeing at times as well. So yeah, it's uh it's mixed, but yeah. It is it is what it is and you know. But uh yeah, thanks for the question.

Gila 27:04

I feel like I can talk or openly and I feel like everyone will listen.

Phillip R 27:16

This group means a lot to me as well. Because before I was very very quiet, but now I can speak up speak my mind up, speak up my mind and tell people how I feel about things, you know. And also we can we can have a laugh as well.

Babak 27:42

It helps me with my mental thing and it it's quite good to people listening, making new friends and talking to people.

Gila 27:51

I learned how to um speak openly and I can unmask um hear and not worry about what people think. I don't know.

Speaker 2 28:08

Amazing Community focus, community focus, we're here for you I'll point a few at five o'clock.

Speaker 8 28:43

A weekend with you.

Speaker 2 28:45

We're here for you, yeah. Hooray Hooray Hooray Hooray