APR 11 Blueprint - Unique Perspectives

A little over a week ago on Friday night was a very big night for 16 artists and myself. The occasion was the opening gala night  of Blueprint - Unique Perspectives   

The venue was at Gallery Red in Glebe which is a small yet well known gallery displaying all out works of writing and photography over a 6 week photography or writing course (Whatever group we were in). With a mentor for the photography and a mentor for the writers. I chose to be in the photography group because as most of you know I've written my book and had it published as well as released.. Yet with the 6 week part time course was really intense because our project was to take a photo a day for 6 weeks then choose the best of the 6 weeks to put in the exhibition. The course was run through ASPECT http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/

To cut a long story short that Friday night was the first time that all of us had ever seen all our works together as one. I felt so very honoured to be part of this totally amazing group of people all on the Autism / Asperger's Spectrum. Not only have we achieved and overcome great obstacles in all our lives yet through the course we were each discovering our true creative potential I a very safe and supportive environment. Sure it wasn't an easy time for most of us including me because we all had our different battles to face... Even in the week leading up to the exhibition I and a couple of other people weren't sure whether we'd make it for the opening... Yet by hook or by crook I think all of did manage to turn up to the gallery that night... Each in their own way.

So here are the details of the exhibition...

The exhibition goes  from 11 April until the 29 April 2014.

Gallery Red is a commercial, contemporary gallery located in the heart of Glebe, showcasing emerging and established artists.

Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturdays: 10am-4pm
Sundays: Closed

This is also the address.. 

Gallery RedShop 11, 131-145, Glebe Point Road, Glebe, New South Wales 2037

Website and Facebook page...

https://www.facebook.com/events/502944806476853/

https://www.facebook.com/events/502944806476853/

http://www.galleryred.com.au/

It was a night of so many different surprises including myself... That night a person I had invited and I hadn't seen them in 20 odd years came. I was not expecting they'd come yet they accepted which was nice. Also it was so great to see my brother and fiance there as well.. The night came off without a hitch I must say due to everyone hard work involved in it.... 

You also have the opportunity  to buy any artworks to take home from most of the artists that are displaying. So you can take home a little keepsake or memento for yourself to have forever... Also it will be a great way to get Autism and Asperger's out there to the wider community Just by supporting this... Because out of one stone thrown into a lake it causes heaps of ripples to expand forth bringing a new and different wave on outlooks.. So come on down to Gallery Red to see the Blueprint Exhibition before it's too late and it's gone forever.... Believe me when I say you won't be disappointed...

Here's also a few pictures of the night I took... Sorry about the quality of some of them... It was quite difficult lighting...

Robert Hughes Drama

Sexual Abuse Doesn't Discriminate!

Over the past few weeks to a couple of months the trial of that 'Hey Dad' actor Robert Hughes has been constantly been in the media and the news that it has been so annoying... Also I saw on the news the other night how two teenage girls were raped near Fairfield during the day of all times in a park. Most often when I watch the news I'm doing stuff on my computer, falling asleep or other things to keep myself distracted from all the bad stuff on it. I've noticed that if things start affecting me I do something else or other especially with the trial of Robert Hughes which has been so unbelievable it's not funny. I've had quite a few other things going on for me because over the past few weeks I have been so majorly depressed that I've not known what to do. Yet with the Robert Hughes trial I found my own history and past coming up when I least expected it too.

Also with my  Asperger's sometimes I find things quite overwhelming in a lot of different way. Ye seeing on the news that he has been found guilty and then the next night on 'A Current Affair' the interview with the old cast and how it affected them.. Sure I missed the first couple of minutes yet to watch it was very emotional and moving because the girls involved finally got justice after 25 to 30 odd years or so... I'm going to include some links for you overseas people to get the gist of what happened... https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/22446785/robert-hughes-trial-former-hey-dad-star-found-guilty-of-sexually-abusing-girls-in-1980s/

Also the 'A Current Affair' thing.... It comes in four parts I think... http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8827547/the-cast-of-hey-dad-break-their-silence-part-1

Part 2. http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8827545/the-cast-of-hey-dad-break-their-silence-part-2

Part3. http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8827544/the-cast-of-hey-dad-break-their-silence-part-3

Part 4. http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8827540/the-cast-of-hey-dad-break-their-silence-part-1

'Hey Dad' show information... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Dad..!

So the show was a show of the 1980's in Australia and it was around when I was growing up as well. For me seeing all this stuff in the past few months as well as the good old Rolf Harris I think being charged as well has been quite hard and interesting.. It has also brought up things which I thought that I had already dealt with years ago. Even after writing my book I thought I was alright or good with it.. Well what happened me was I've been abused by two separate guys on two occasions. I'm not going into details because I've written it my book and I was discussing it with a professional just this morning yet I'll just go into the basics.

The first happened when I was about 3 and a half years old where my parents luckily caught what was happening.... What was really ironic and really weird the guy put on a record of the good old Rolph Harris just as he was doing it... I think the song was 'Jake The Peg'. So little did I know that 25 to 35 years later he's got caught himself doing stuff with little kids...

The second time was at a christian combined church camp with an adult male from the other church and I was only 13 at the time. It was on along weekend as well. The abuse happened twice that weekend which was horrible... I wasn't raped and it was only minor as my parents say. Yet it still did affect me greatly and I don't know why.

The third time I'm not sure about because it was a repressed memory prayer therapy thing and it supposedly happened when I was about 2 years old with another guy. So with that one I have no idea whether or not it did happen. Yet with other 2 they did happen and I remember them...

There's other bits of the story which I don't want to go into as with most things like this it can be quite complicate trying to deal with all this stuff. Yet with the guys or men who abused me they were never reported to the law or police and thus quite successfully got away with it scott free without a care in the world... They never got charged, questioned, interviewed or all that stuff yet still continue to roam this earth free of charge which isn't fair... One of the things that really, really gets me is what if they've done it to other small children over the past however many years and today they maybe continuing to ruin the innocence of beautiful kids. With one of the guys he was surrounded by all these kids who went to church with their families and all the time in the world there where he could've groomed them and do the things abusers do..  Who knows how many of those kids are or have suffered in silence if or when they got abused.. There are all these different, complicated feelings, thoughts and questions which are still valid even today... All these things have been haunting me lately and it has been horrible... I also saw on Facebook last night that another woman is having trouble dealing with issues brought up from this Robert Hughes trial. So I've been figuring that if it hasn't been just me trying to deal with this then other women must be going through similar things as well.. I remember posting info about the trial etc.. on my Facebook also then posting afterward words to the effect of "I saw this very haunting and moving interview last night. If this trial and all the media press coverage on it over the past few weeks brought anything up for people from the past or present... Please don't hesitate to seek help.... You don't have to deal with this alone...."

I'm also saying this now because of this blog post because it could bring issues up for you... Yet pleas remember you are not alone... Sure when I was talking to the professional today and he was asking me a few questions etc... I felt ashamed, guilty and asking myself how I could have stopped it etc.... It was like I was almost like a little kid sitting inside an adults body if you get me...  What has surprised me the most with this is how things have been brought up after so many years. It's not we who should be feeling guilty and shameful yet the perpetrators. One day I hope they will get their justice somehow.... Also by talking out in our recoveries and not being quiet we will hopefully shed light over the darkness of this nation of Australia then eventually the world... No child or person has to live in fear... I want this to be true one day in my lifetime....

Here's some more links if this has brought up things for you...

Adult Survivors Of Abuse

http://laurelhouse.org.au/?page_id=10

http://rainn.org/get-info/effects-of-sexual-assault/adult-survivors-of-childhood-sexual-abuse 

http://aaets.org/article120.htm 

Anxiety And Depression Fact Sheets

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression/signs-and-symptoms/anxiety-and-depression-checklist-k10 

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/depression/whatitslike.cfm 

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/Depression/depressionexplained/index.cfm 

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression/signs-and-symptoms 

I've given you a lot of info and hopefully you will find it useful..... Remember you are not alone... No matter what...

 

Found ~ After Three Quarter's Of A Life

Is the date or time Saturday 29th March 2014 at about 3:30am of any importance to you In any way, shape or form? Well it may not be for you unless you or someone else you know has a birthday on that day or there's significance for any other reasons... For it's important because something amazing happened..

I was just getting ready to close my computer and put it away to go to bed because I had to do something for my parents early that morning.... Just by chance again I decided to type in something on Google about ABC space fillers or something.... I came across this site where it had some type of forum of what the song could be.... Now this really pricked my eyes and ears up big time.. This is the link to the site... http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=57&m=245.
I was reading as quick as I could and tried to find the first few songs on Youtube yet sadly it turned out they weren't the ones. After 3 quarters of a life time ago I could barely remember the tune yet I knew when I heard it that would make my day...  When I came over these words... "It was a Mike Oldfield tune called Incantations Part 4."

My heart lifted and I went to Youtube as quickly as I could typed it in and started watching the clip....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wBRPepP3bM&feature=share
The instant I saw it and heard it I let out a bit of a yell fist pumping the air... I sat there transfixed and cried tears of joy. Memories of the past 32 years came flooding back to me because I was nearly resigned to the fact that I may never know the name of that song and go to my grave without it. Over the years I've made a lot of different attempts to find the name out yet could never do it which I felt sad about... I also heard that piece on a morning show yet that finished so I couldn't write in about it... I felt like the only on who had seen this amazing beautiful song and heard this...

I was so happy that I pasted this on my FB wall with the link to the song....
"OH MY CRUMBS!!!!! THIS HAS MADE MY WORLD...... For over half my life I have been wondering the name of this beautiful song that has haunted me constantly (even in the middle of the night)..... I have never known yet remember seeing it on the ABC as a kid... I can die happy now because one of my life's biggest mysteries has been solved huge time!! Thankyou God!!!"
I then went on a search to try and find other versions of it and here's a couple for you... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OhRJf4VFgU
That one is my favorite version's because it had no interruptions and it was the longest version This version also had words with it which was good...
I also found a couple of live versions yet you had to skip to where the part I like started... I cried some more and was totally gob~smacked... I had to listen to it to make up for lost time... I tried to find it on Itunes yet it was so old that they didn't have it which I was so peeved at. I eventually found it on ebay and bought it.. Now I'm waiting for it to show up from overseas... 

Another thing that was really strange was that for quite a few days afterwards I feel really low as well as down. It was like. "What do I do now that I've found this song after 32 or 33 years?"
I've got no idea if it's normal to feel that way yet it really took me aback... A couple of days after that I found another name of a song around the same time that I had wanted to know as well... It came from a cartoon on ABC that my brother used to watch with a white dolphin of all things on it... I remember I used to him that song constantly as well the other one on the bus.... It used to drive other people batty around me and I remember getting into trouble because of it... For me that music was a real comfort thing for me and I felt safe with it.. It was like a friend almost and kept me company from the bad stuff that was happening elsewhere.... I've always related to music in my own unique way and it's has been a huge part of me...

So to find this music is still hard to believe yet I'm so glad that I have found it at very, very, very long last.... There's no words to describe it but to listen to it again....

P.S. I know the pictures don't really match the story yet they are nice.. I'm too tired to go looking for any moon or night photo's... Sweet dreams all...