I believe the artistic personality may occur commonly in people with Autism, particularly those with a constant pattern of mood extremes and who are constantly fixated with lines, structures, colors, textures, patterns and spend their time fixated on the different variations of flicked water, sound rhythm patterns, the ways light catches color, or the multitude of varieties in which a leaf shreds, how sand falls in constantly changing patterns, or how grasses can be made into mini bouquets.
It is perhaps not surprising that whilst some are certainly not warm or sociable (and many Solitary personalities are not by nature), many people with Autism ARE strikingly gentle and kind, although so often drawn to objects over people- characteristics of the Artistic Personality. If the artistic personality is distressed by being unable to create and unlike the Sensitive/Avoidant personality needs creativity more strongly than routine, what happens to these Artistic personalities when treated like Sensitive/Avoidant ones simply by virtue of sharing the label of Autism and given boring repetitive tasks with no discovery learning?
Its worth a thought.
🙂 Donna Williams
author of Nobody Nowhere.
www.donnawilliams.net