In 1998 my youngest brother, Kelton, was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disability that affects communication and social interaction. Autism currently affects 1/88 people in the United States. Kelton is a talented individual who runs cross-country and track, wrestles, plays the drums, loves history, and collects bobble heads and keychains.

This year Kelton decided to enroll in his first art class where he discovered his skill for drawing. His unorthodox style made me reconsider my artwork and examine the differences and similarities that exist between our perspectives. According to Paul Collins’ Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism, artists are four times more likely to have autism in their families. Considering the number of artists in my family, this statistic made me question the similarities that exist between Kelton and me. For this reason, we have decided to draw one of his 6,481 keychains a day for one year. These drawings will be as simple and uninhibited as possible. This project will explore our individual perspectives and examine the similarities that exist between us as artists.

Day 104

Friday, December 31, 2010



Kelt got this keychain from our family friend for Christmas who is also the principal of the high school. People in our community are constantly giving Kelt keychains, talking with him, acknowledging his success, and helping him in social situations, etc. Our family has considered moving in the past, but every time the issue is brought up, we hesitate because of our community. It’s easy to take this area for granted, but such relationships will continue to help Kelt as he grows older. Such connections are helpful for anyone who is pursuing a job or social opportunity, but are especially useful for a person who has a hard time interacting with others. Even though another area might have more resources, these relationships would be hard to replace.
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