By Trevor Pacelli
I recently took Michael Pollan’s Masterclass, Intentional Eating, which included Pollan's three philosophies of food:
1. Eat Food
2. Not Too Much
3. Mostly Plants
I came up with three similar philosophies about consuming artistic media:
1. Enjoy Art
2. Embrace Your Tastes
3. But Don’t Force Them
Enjoy Art
I recognize that art is subjective, as beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder. However, criticizing art objectively is a freedom you should feel free to exercise. After all, a two-year-old smearing paint around isn’t on the same artistic plane as a professional who’s been painting for fifty years spending toilsome hours on an anatomically accurate mural. To demonstrate my point, I’ll explain the mastery behind one of the artsiest movies of the last decade: Poor Things.
Its black-and-white fish-eye lens cinematography may make it look at first like a movie where the director wants to show off, but in this context, the cinematography style is used for a purpose. Since the main character, Bella Baxter, starts as a grown woman with the brain of a toddler, she at first sees the world in a distorted black-and-white way, but once she explores the world, everything turns to color, like she’s a small child discovering life for the first time. Then as she matures, those vibrant colors become more muted, and the fish-eye lens shots dissipate. There’s an actual consistent purpose behind this filmmaking trick, which allows Poor Things to pass as a work of art that can be freely enjoyed.
Embrace Your Tastes
Yeah, that’s right: don’t feel ashamed to watch something that’s a part of your tastes as long as it’s made with love, hard work, talent, and simple fun while respecting all potential viewers. This subject of feeling embarrassed about watching something outside of something like your age group reminds me of people who dismiss animation as “for kids,” which is part of what led to that awful trend of soulless live-action Disney remakes. Netflix did the same thing when they remade Avatar: The Last Airbender in live-action.
The day the first episode of the first season premiered, I decided to protest that remake series by rewatching the first episode of the original Nickelodeon series and continuing through the show. Man, I tell you: the original animated show just gets better with multiple rewatches and is more enjoyable for older viewers than for kids. I’d say the same about the preschool show Bluey. Anyone might quickly dismiss it because of who it’s made for, but the show knows how to create relatable slice-of-life plotlines that can entertain kids and make parents cry. Therefore, it doesn’t matter who something was made for, if a movie or TV show feels like a passion project with something valuable to say, then enjoy!
But Don’t Force Them
Yes, every movie has an audience, no matter how bizarre. Even Poor Things. At the same time, that means even if something is a massive crowd-pleaser or something others within your community love, nothing says you’re also required to love that movie. I once thought I had to take the word of the Oscars on what movies are the best, particularly in college, meaning I tried to convince myself that Shakespeare in Love is a better movie than Saving Private Ryan just because it infamously beat the latter for Best Picture. Boy, how wrong I was.
I also tried to force myself to love the movies put on a high pedestal amongst movie buffs and bought DVD/Blu-rays that included The Godfather, Schindler's List, and No Country for Old Men. Yet I could never just casually enjoy them as entertainment, so I ultimately gave those movies away. I still respect them for being phenomenal works of art, but they’re simply not for my taste. Therefore, I shouldn’t have to believe I must love them just because I went to film school. If you also can acknowledge the strong artistic merits of a good movie even if you didn’t enjoy sitting through it, then that’s okay. At least you tried.
How to tell whether a piece of media is truly art
While watching movies is indeed fun, knowing which movies are worth your time is hard. I too have struggled with this over the years, as there have been movies I once thought were masterpieces, only to realize in hindsight that I was wrong. Movies like Ex Machina, Arrival, Annihilation, and Hereditary were movies I soon could see for what they truly are: Overly pretentious with sloppy scripts and emotionally distant characters.
To help you know whether a movie or TV show is art or not, consider these questions:

• Is the protagonist a different person in the end?
• Do the protagonist’s actions prove this change is legitimate?
• Are the other characters shoved aside, or are they given full subplots connected to the main plot?
• Do the actors’ pauses properly imitate the realistic speech of real humans?
• Do the actors’ gestures communicate strong chemistry between the two, or do they feel like they’re merely talking "at" each other?
• Are the jokes forced?
• Does every scene support the plot?
• Are the characters’ actions justifiable, or do they just do whatever the plot tells them to do?

One last tip that helps a lot is to read the 5/10 reviews on a review site; lukewarm ratings often offer the most descriptive points about the movie’s flaws. If the review is specific enough about what a movie does wrong, then take the reviewer’s word, but if the critiques given don’t appear valid, or if the praises by good reviews feel more valid than the criticisms, then feel free to watch the movie or TV show. Over time, you’ll improve at knowing which media are truly art. Even better, you’ll develop a refined collection of favorite movies, books, and shows that bring out the real you.
Trevor Pacelli is the author of What Movies Can Teach Us About Disabilities, What Movies Can Teach Us About Bullying, Summer of the Fruit Virus and more.

​Guest post by Erica Francis
Painting, dancing, and music are some ways your child with autism can express themselves creatively. Having a creative outlet helps them reduce their anxiety and escape their worries. Check out the creative outlets below:
Painting 
Encourage your little one to paint. Give them a palette with different colors and brushes of different thicknesses and let your child go to town. Autism Parenting notes that painting can allow your child to express themselves, even if they aren't verbal, and it may help build confidence. 
Music 
Whether you're encouraging your child to listen to music, play an instrument, or sing, it could benefit them. 
When listening to music, the right and left hemispheres of the brain are stimulated. Professionals use music as part of autism therapy for this reason. In fact, Percussion Play points out that music can improve language development as well as cognitive function. 
Try using a drum or rhythm sticks. Take turns developing patterns and repeating each other's rhythm. 
Dancing 
Dance therapy helps to reestablish the body-to-mind connection. Dance improves concentration and attention and helps children express themselves, even if they're nonverbal. In a group setting, dance can help build social skills. The repetition of dance moves enhances memory. 
Give them an opportunity to create a dance and demonstrate it to you, which is also a good time to spend more time with them and show you care. No matter how busy you may be with raising your child on the spectrum, carving out time to share artistic experiences pays huge dividends both now and into the future.
Try playing Night at the Museum, where one person is the museum guard and turns their back on the others, who must dance or move in some way until the guard turns back around. The aim of the game is to not get caught moving when the guard turns around. 
Give Your Child an Art Room
If you have an unused room in your home, consider dedicating it as an art or crafting room. whether it's a den, a spare bedroom, or your unfinished or finished basement. Add a variety of supplies into the room, such as markers, rhythm sticks, paints, crayons, and more. Organize the supplies so your child can easily reach them.
General Rule with Art for Autistic Children
If you're creating activities, remember to adapt them to your child based on their skill and condition. Art shouldn't be frustrating for a child. When you notice them struggling, it's okay to accommodate them.
Create both open-ended and closed-ended projects. Open-ended art projects allow children to express themselves and get creative. On the other hand, closed-ended assignments help them follow instructions and build specific skills.