ANCA.Spring.2017.Sept.19.final

A Shift in Perspective:
INSPIRING INCLUSION
THROUGH ILLUSTRATION
By Liz Pritchard
ite comic book characters. I was often misunderstood and
bullied throughout school, and had to change schools several
times because of this. I gradually became withdrawn
and isolated, and it wasn’t until late in the 10th grade that I
started creating comic books about my experiences of living
with high-functioning Autism and mental illness. Art had
always been very therapeutic for me, providing a healthy
outlet for me to communicate and express my thoughts
and feelings when words were too difficult.
My art had begun to manifest into a serious structure
from that point onward. My main goal in creating these
comics is to help erase the negative stigma that often surrounds
these conditions. Art has always been a personal
vehicle that enabled me to get my messages across to other
people. I incorporate my personal experiences into my
work, and providing visuals in place of words gives ideas
and concepts a more tangible quality that others can connect
with. A lot of my art deals with self-doubt, learning to
cope with it, and coming to terms with it.
PIC
PIC
I realized I had a gift for art since I was very young, at
about nine years of age. I’ve been creating art since I
was about three years old. My interest in comic books and
manga has greatly influenced my artistic style, and has
helped me build connections with people who I am still in
contact with to this day. I would often prefer to draw with
pencil on paper, and I always drew pictures of my favor-
Doubt is intangible, but that doesn’t and shouldn’t negate
how real it is to myself and many others. I am currently
in my last year of higher education studying art and psychology.
My goal is to become a professional comic book
artist, and reach many people with my work in hopes to
show others that they are not alone. I would also like to
volunteer working with young children on the Autism Spectrum
through art therapy programs. Animation has always
been a special interest of mine, and I would eventually like
to animate my comic books into a film.
My spatial awareness in visualizing the relationship with
the body of work and how I execute my ideas is natural
14 | www.naturallyautistic.com