Art therapy helped Patrick at every stage of his life from his innocent childhood to maturity. It gave him the power to dream, to envision a future and build a life that could help and inspire others. His art is helping him to enhance his social skills by sharing his beautiful creations with the rest of the world. In a short span of time his amazing creativity has impressed everyone and has helped him to secure over a dozen sponsors including Cass Art, The Frame Company, IKEA and many more. Patrick’s work is exhibited in various art exhibitions such as Art for Autism (Group Exhibition), hosted by OAKS — Orchestrated Acts of Kindness, The N21 Festival Fancy Fair 2017 and lot many. Other than his colorful world of art, Patrick loves to create music. He proudly came up with his music album, "Beyond The Spectrum". We want to wish Patrick for all his successful endeavor.

How did you become interested in the world of art? Where do you get the ideas for your wonderful art?P: As a child I was hyperactive, and I think my mom recognized that early on. I would get distracted, frustrated, restless and angry very easily and was prone to outbursts when things suddenly changed. I was moved from class to class as teachers didn’t really know how to deal with me. Although I was bright, I had no social skills, and team sports as well as group activities would lead to meltdowns as I didn’t know how to co-ordinate myself, relate to others or stay calm when things didn’t work out the way I thought they would.
It was my mom who showed me how peaceful and rewarding drawing and painting could be. We did a lot of arts and crafts sessions together. There was a lot of cutting and sticking, making decorations and things to hang around the house... I guess that’s how I became interested in art. Through the necessity of it.
Ideas come from whatever I’m trying to express at that moment. Since December 23rd, 2016 I’ve been doing daily Art Therapy and that’s helped me a lot. Prior to that I was having a lot of problems trying to manage my Asperger’s; tantrums, outburst and severe meltdowns. Art therapy has calmed me down a lot and reduced the need for much of my medication. It also helps with reducing sensory overload by deflecting the sensory experience to the art materials. Art also helps me get to the bottom of problems and identify issues that I’d been unable to access in other ways. I couldn’t answer a lot of questions until I was first able to draw those pictures because that’s how my brain works – in pictures – not words.

Which is your own favorite creation and why?P: My favourite painting is one of my latest. It’s called Things Take Time. It was done in oil pastels and acrylic paint and it shows a hand pointing toward the stars and shooting comets. It represents the idea of everything being relative and that there are vast distances we have to travel in order to reach a destination. In space, what we see has already passed by the time we see it. It takes time for light to reach us, so whatever we’re travelling toward has already changed before we’re even halfway there. I find that idea fascinating, although the experience of it in my everyday life can be frustrating or distressing even. It’s something I need to learn and accept, just as I do with space.

What inspired you to come up with your music album, "Beyond The Spectrum"? Which track was most difficult to compose?P: Life. More specifically, the past year. 2016 was easily the worst year I’ve ever experienced. Nothing compares to it. For legal reasons I can’t really go into detail exactly what happened, but it was employment related and through the lack of support and failures of my former employer, I was left a wreck and that lead right up to when I started doing art therapy.
I’ve been composing and producing music since the early part of the millennium, but Beyond The Spectrum is something altogether different. It describes the journey I’ve been on, starting with Arrival. There are many ways to experience the album; it’s about Asperger’s, isolation and acceptance. Interwoven are sonic-scapes about what loneliness sounds like and why, despite everything I’ve experienced, I’m still here. Why I would miss this place if I wasn’t here anymore.
Each track is blended into the next, so there are no gaps on the CD, but the songs can be listened to individually as well. It’s just that they tell a specific story in that order I placed them in. there were no easy or hard tracks as I didn’t perceive the making of them that way. They took as long as they took and each one I was dedicated and committed to in terms of their conception through to their competition.
The music and the art go hand-in-hand and my paintings are featured throughout the artwork as well.

What are your other hobbies?P: There’s very little time left as art and music consume most of my waking life. I enjoy being with Chase, my 3 year-old Belgian Malinois. He’s always by my side, ever supportive and forever loyal. I love being in the garden with him when I’m painting. He’s happiest when he’s outside as he’s a working dog, so I try to give him that as much as possible. Other than we enjoy long walks in nature or bike riding. As a person with Asperger’s sensory overload is always an issue so that puts limitations on where I can go, who I can go with and at what times. As much as I’d like to go to the cinema, or a bar to have a drink or just hang out with friends, I don’t have the coping skills yet to manage the sensory overload it causes, so my hobbies are things I can do at home and/or safely.

What is your favorite place to visit and why?P: I’ve been to France a couple of times between 2002 and 2003 and really enjoyed places such as St. Malo and Chartres, but there was one specific location and moment that stands out. It was in Vezelay in central France. It felt like a dream, the hotel room with its window that looked out onto the rolling hills and the sweeping morning mist over it when I woke up. I also lived in Berlin for a few years between 1999 and 2003 and that was also quite an experience. I love places that are quiet, still and where nature remains the sole focus. I haven’t seen any of those places again since 2003. Anywhere by the coast or where there’s water as well; Beachy Head, which is on the south coast of England or Hiddensee, a little island off the Baltic Coast. I like water, just watching it and feeling the hypnotic pull of the waves.

What do you like to do when you are with your friends/family?P: Well, socializing is quite limited and I don’t have any family. There’s one restaurant I like to go to with my friend and Chase. It’s in north London and we always sit outside, usually it’s quite early, just when they’re open so there’s no one else there. I like to order a plate of mushroom risotto together with a strawberry and lime cider. I really enjoy that.

Any special message for our community?P: If you feel inspired to create something and you’ve never done it before, I know that fear and understand it well. There’s always the paralyzing thought; what if it’s not good enough? We’re constantly measuring ourselves up to others instead of just doing what we want to do. It keeps us from doing it. We need to stop doing that. whether it’s drawing, painting, composing or anything else for that matter… Do what you feel.
Abilities, skills, technical know-how, none of this matters in that moment. Draw what you feel and what comes from that is an honest representation of what you’re thinking and feeling. It’s all the things you couldn’t say before. It’s all the thoughts that were rustling through your head that wouldn’t settle before. It’s all the pain and hurt you couldn’t let go of. It’s all the anger you’ve been holding onto. It’s all the joy that comes with that sense of release.
It’s ok to get mad at your art. Smear the paint. Rip up the paper. Do what you need to do to express yourself. Stick it back together if you want. Use pencils, use old newspapers, envelopes, macaroni, glue, shoe polish. Use whatever you have. Art and art therapy is about expression and release, and it’s about you, no one else.