There are positive things about having Asperger’s Syndrome..
Most of the time when people talk about Asperger’s Syndrome, they focus on the negative elements of the condition. After all, there are plenty of negatives to focus on: finding social situations confusing, having a hard time making small talk, typically turning all conversations back to subjects the Aspie finds interesting, having a hard time reading others and figuring out what they are thinking, being thought of as rude without there being any intention of rudeness, things being done in an inflexible and repetitive manner, having a difficulty making and keeping friends, etc. If you get past these aspects there are some silver linings to being an Aspie.
As an artist, having Asperger’s can be a serious help to you. Because most people who Asperger’s tend to have a very narrow focus on things that interest them, they tend to become experts in their respective areas of interest. For me the interests are art, namely Byzantine Iconography and more recently modern art, and photography. My limited focus has helped me become very skilled in both areas. I do not watch TV, even though at one point I had a 65 inch hdtv, I personally find it to be a waste of my time. I would rather be editing photos or creating art. For others the narrow range of interest is music. Still others it is math, computer science or engineering. Whatever the interest, having a narrow focus on the interest tends to greatly help a person excel in their field.
The attraction to patterns and doing things repetitively in a certain way can also be a serious help to artists and musicians, among others, who have Asperger’s. Byzantine Iconography is a very constructed and structured form of art. The attraction to patterns works very well with doing Byzantine Iconography. Most Byzantine Icons are simply a combination of patterns or themes that run the course of the art form. Sometimes the only difference between one saint and another is the name on the panel and the prayers prayed to what saint it is while painting the icon. The same can be said of a musician, especially one who works in longer classical pieces that tend to have themes running the length of the work.
In a similar way, the Aspie mind is very adept at cataloging information the person with Asperger’s finds interesting. I never realized until a few weeks ago when I was having a beer with a friend who is also an Aspie that my fascination with Billy Joel lyrics was not the typical way people listen to music. I know the lyrics to about 3/4 of Billy Joel’s songs by heart. We were drinking a beer one night and I was reciting lyrics right and left and my friend just sat there in awe of my ability. Ok, so knowing most of Billy Joel’s musical catalog by heart is not in itself useful, but that same ability applied to other areas of life could prove to be incredibly useful!
I write this to encourage anyone who either has Asperger’s Syndrome or knows someone who does to embrace the fact that just because you or someone has it, does not mean you are limited in what you can pursue. Sure there are certain challenges the condition presents itself with, but there are also amazing talents and gifts that the condition provides that most neurotypical people are highly envious of! Find your gifts and talents and use them to your greatest advantage!!!
