Day in the life of Artist Blair Iris
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to help people. The first thing I ever wanted to be in life was a psychologist. I remember setting up a little cardboard box in my living room as a desk and waiting for people to come ask me for advice. Of course no adult asked a seven year old for actual advice but this didn’t deter me from wanting to help. I’m positive I got this trait from my mom. She worked in a nursing home and every year she bought Christmas gifts for the patients and every year I would wrap them.
I was in 6th grade when Hurricane Katrina hit. We made up tote bags full of coloring books and toys for the children who lost everything because they were probably in desperate need of a distraction to cope. We lived in Missouri but we felt so deeply for those people even though we ourselves had never experienced a hurricane before. This humanitarian spirit my mother taught me has stuck with me as an adult. But instead of gifts and resources I try to give through actions because I haven't’ always been able to afford to do much more than that.
“Blue-Violet Geode” by Blair Iris. Alcohol ink on Yupo paper.
It’s strange to me when people say autistics have little empathy. We may not recognize every emotion that flits across your face, exactly when you feel it. We can’t read the facial map of emotions. But once we know, once you have told us you are sad or hurt, we feel those feelings with you. Our empathy can then overwhelm us. We may not know the exact words to say to make you feel better. Maybe we can’t even speak the words because we can become mute when we are overwhelmed -- but we feel with you. Autistics want to help as much as anyone else does, maybe even more, we just don’t follow the same map.
“A Splash of Magick” and “Fae Magick” bookmarks by Blair Iris. Alcohol ink on Yupo paper.
The pandemic and current revolution in the US against police brutality has made me feel so many emotions for everyone: for the healthcare workers struggling without enough supplies and for the people of color being murdered across the country. I want to do something actionable, but I can’t sew masks for healthcare workers and protesters because I’m awful at sewing, and unfortunately, I can’t protest because I was born with heart disease and am at high risk for covid. What I can do, though, is create.
“Golden Lining” by Blair Iris. Alcohol ink and gold liner pen on yupo paper.
Art has been the thing that keeps me calm, teaches me new things. Art also brings a light to people’s faces when you make something just for them. It’s amazing when someone connects to a piece in a way you, the artist, didn’t even think about. Helping people through my artwork like this is the entire reason I decided to start my own business. My main goal has always been to find causes I want to help and give a percentage of my proceeds to them.
I started showing my work in December 2019 on instagram with the intention of giving money to causes like the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, and fighting human trafficking. Now that I have my first collection ready, I want the first causes I give to to be real issues that are going on right now in the world that need our immediate help: the fight against Covid 19 and the fight against racism. My every day now consists of painting for those causes.
I have thirty pieces ready to release on June 30th. I’m giving 20% of the proceeds to Direct Relief, an organization that is sending medical supplies to hospitals in rural areas all over the world. All of the alcohol ink pieces you see here are part of that release. I am also working on three new pieces, to be released soon after, of which I will give 100% of my profit to the organization Black Lives Matter.
“Am I Lost or Found” by Blair Iris. Alcohol ink on yupo paper.
We’re all experiencing a massive shift in our day to day lives. Whether it's being unable to leave your house or fighting on the front lines, or something else entirely, I hope we can all-- neurodivergent and neurotypical-- find some way to help our fellow humans during this time of uncertainty. Everything is blurring together right now, but if we can keep sight of just one little goal to pull us all through, then think about how much better the world could get?
My every day has still been filled with the same things: painting, cleaning, and sleeping. But with each painting I complete, the closer I am to giving back to my fellow humans. We all have to stick together through this and we’ll come out better than before. I'm so proud to be a part of the Magical Women community because it truly feels like a group that is on a mission to make the art world a better place for neurodiverse artists to be ourselves and unleash our talents. We can all have a part in creating that brighter future.
“Serene Sunset” a photograph by Blair Iris