One of the most exhausting, delightful but frustrating things about children on the spectrum is their determination. Now of course this can be used for good or bad.

I wrote a few days ago about my experience with Johnathan and the artwork we completed together. And it was a fun, humbling, joyous, exhausting, demanding time.

I will admit that often with Johnathan’s various autistic needs I feel either helpless or struggle to work out what to do next. 

Have you ever sat down and thought about the beauty of life itself?  There have been many times I have, actually. 

I would like to talk about the beauty of books. Now I know not everyone would have had the same passion I had for reading when I was younger.

Well, I don’t know if you’ve seen the cartoon series of Bluey. It was developed in Australia and is a series of stories about a family of Blue Heeler dogs.

There’s a saying I’ve heard. “If you believe you can’t, you’re right, if you believe you can, you’re right”

I don’t know if you’ve ever read the CS Lewis Narnia series. I think, out of all the books in it, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe touched me the most.

Have you ever looked at any form of transportation and wondered at the lines and curves and how decisions were made in their construction?

Today I wanted to show that beauty really is in the things that stop us and make us look.  There are so many different things that could do that. 

I don’t know if you know this but I LOVE horses. In fact, I used to go riding a lot when I was a child.

Have you ever looked at the sky and thought how amazing it is? I have been on many flights in my lifetime, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the changing clouds.

Have you ever thought or heard that something is almost or actually is too beautiful for words?

Have you ever thought how beautiful music is? From the deep tones of the majestic organ, to the twinkling glockenspiel or piano.

I would love to talk about body image today. I know this can be a very delicate subject for many of us, but i think it’s important to discuss as part of looking at beauty.

When I was younger (I think about 7 or 8), I met a girl that basically lived in (well I guess you would call it) one of the clear cots that you get in hospital to put your baby in.

I was looking at a blanket my friend Clare has crocheted for someone and she used the entrelac pattern, which she had used to make me a jumper.

I don’t know if you are aware, but I am a Royalist in many ways. And today, with his Majesty King Charles III being crowned, I wished to see this event take place.

Beauty. What a word. Beauty. Now, what do you have to consider when beauty is the subject of choice? At the end of the day, it’s what you SEE and decide that makes something beautiful. What it means to you.

It’s a strange word actually, isn’t it? You can be committed to a place, person, idea, book, country….all sorts of things. And some of them aren’t the kind of thing that you would ever consider committing to.