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- Hayward artist Shannon Kocka
draws inspiration from her daydreams.
They take flight in the form of fantasy and science fiction.
- You get to use your imagination more.
You get to explore these little worlds in your head.
- Creating art takes courage to try new things.
That's especially challenging for Shannon.
She was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a child.
- I was really antisocial.
I didn't want to do things different.
I sometimes screamed and cried a lot for no reason at all.
- Trying new things and socializing
are often more difficult for people on the spectrum.
Giizhik Klawiter was diagnosed with autism at age 5.
Ten years later,
his mother says his peers still struggle to accept him.
- My hope is that people one day
understand autism and accept autism.
They have an ability that we don't have.
Giizhik has a photographic memory.
And so I think that's what makes him so good with his artistry.
- Giizhik and Shannon are both members of See My Art,
or SMART, a non-profit organization
created by Drummond artist Sara Balbin.
It provides support and guidance
for people with disabilities through art.
- Oh, I see it.
Raccoon, bear.
It's a good way to give what I've been given.
And I have mentors and now I'm mentoring.
- That is awesome. Nice colors.
- The SMART organization offers artists
a platform to showcase their work online.
Sara's also formed relationships
with several northwoods businesses
to give gallery space to SMART artists.
- They've become artists.
They've become professional artists.
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- Giizhik's passion is painting.
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- Painting animals that you would locally see here
in the wild, or in the region.
This is a type of bear that is locally seen in Wisconsin.
You can see that it's full of berries over there.
- He also loves to spread Christmas cheer.
- I really like Christmas.
One of my favorite things about Christmas
was snowmen with top hats.
I really like top hats.
- It led to his biggest brush with notoriety.
- Mom had this idea of turning them into cards.
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- For the past decade,
Giizhik's sold holiday cards across Sawyer County
to raise money for autism research.
The proceeds go to the Waisman Center at UW-Madison.
- We've raised over $18,000.
- And I think it was a pretty neat thing.
- He has difficulty with the notoriety
because people recognize him
and he has difficulty with that social interaction.
He is very proud that his cards help other people.
- He wants to make a difference.
And isn't that wonderful?
Fifteen years old and wanting to make a difference.
You have to love it.
- While Giizhik crafted cards, Shannon scripted her own story.
In 2017 she published her first book titled "Wings."
- The main character is Irving.
He has no memory of where he came from.
He's different from the other dragons
because he's got butterfly patterns on his wings like you see on the cover.
He's separated from his people
so he's got to try and find the courage within himself
and try and find them again.
- It sparked Shannon's writing career.
- There were star sprites everywhere
migrating in a massive cyclone above him,
illuminating the jungle in all colors
like thousands of tiny rainbows.
A feeling overcame Irving.
One he could only describe as sheer happiness.
There were tears in his eyes
but he couldn't wipe them away.
He didn't want to miss this beautiful sight.
Well first I want to make a trilogy out of this first book
and I already have a couple ideas for future books.
Most of them involve dragons.
I'm definitely going to be a fantasy writer.
- She's also working on her social skills.
At Sara's encouragement, Shannon was the keynote speaker
at the 2018 See My Art Annual Gala event.
- She will open doors for others to realize
that it's OK to be like who you were born to be.
- Becoming an artist,
an author takes the term autism and Asperger's away.
Now you are an author.
You're a writer.
You're a creative person.
- I'm still hesitant to try new things
and do things differently but I'm still trying
and there are still people supporting me for it.
- I am so, so happy for you.
- Thank you.
- Shannon says living with autism has its ups and downs
but ask her if she'd change a thing and she'd say...
- I'd say no 'cause it made me who I am.
And without it I'd probably be a very boring person
and being boring is not fun.
- Spoken like an artist who's learned to follow her daydreams.
- Sometimes you listen to that voice in your head
and you'll just sit and do nothing
but other times you get to push through
and you accomplish something.