Creating art is usually a solitary activity – a way to express one’s creativity and even personality on paper, canvas, whatever it may be.

Autistic individuals especially are known for their love of solitude. However, one family with an autistic young adult decided to paint together and it was a great experience.

Following a Youtube tutorial for inspiration, each person took their brushes and paper and started mixing colours and following the guidance to create a ‘Cosmos’ painting.

“It was a really nice activity to do together. We didn’t need to interact that much or speak to one another, instead it was more about being present with one another and seeing how everyone interpreted the same picture in different ways. I would highly recommend this to all families with autistic sons/daughters/siblings, even (and maybe, especially) those who think they don’t have any painting abilities (My mother thinks she is ‘talentless’ and ‘hopeless’ in art). The skills are secondary; creativity and togetherness come first – and that’s a guarantee with this activity.”

We think they did great and the autistic adult was very engaged and enjoyed seeing what his mum and sister were doing. Here are their final creations:

Let us know if you have tried any artwork as a family – we’d love to hear from you!