TALLAHASSEE — Art and entrepreneurship are coming together to provide new opportunities for people on the autism spectrum.
"Its going to help them and me just to reduce the anxiety and reduce that stress and that socialization will help them to be able to recognize what they want to do."
Stress and a lack of socializing is something that students like Nijah Proctor know all too well.
Proctor is a freshmen at Tallahassee Community College. She has autism and is the inspiration behind a nonprofit helping people facing the same challenges.
"Sometimes a lot of people especially those on the autism spectrum it can be very difficult for them to communicate cause of anxiety."
Nijah inspired her mother Betty to start the nonprofit Motivating People through Arts and Crafts in 2020.
For the last two years, the organization has teamed up with local governments.
Now there's a new partnership with Arts4all providing entrepreneurship courses.
Over an eight week period people will create artwork that will later go on sale at Obsessions gift shop.
"The goal is to enhance communication through arts and crafts and we're doing that through workshops, we're doing it with entrepreneurship experience and volunteer experiences that can lead to employment."
Proctor says its important for everyone to realize that just because someone is on the spectrum doesn't mean they're not capable of doing things that might come a bit easier for others.
"I want to be able to have people know not only people in the community, I want the parents for them to know and also the participants for the persons on the spectrum and also with communications challenges to know that this is possible your dreams are doable with support."
The entrepreneurship classes will be from Feb. 3 through March 31st.
If your interested in signing up head to
Home | Motivating People through Arts and Crafts (mpacobs.com)
