Autism and Creativity

Owner of SMK Production LLC in Boulder,, Colorado, Scott Klumb is a successful cinematographer, creative director, and editor. Scott Klumb started his media company in 2012 as a freelance filmer specializing in action sports and has since become well known for his editing style, with appearances on ESPN and major ski films. With interests in the autism and creativity narrative, he has made several documentaries about autism, the most recent of which was released in August of 2021, titled “Thriving on the Spectrum: A Story About Autism and the Pandemic.”

Autism is frequently associated with logical thinking rather than creative expression. However, new research suggests that our perspectives on creativity and autism may need to be reconsidered. Autistic people have long been regarded as geniuses in technology, science, and academia. However, autistic people have recently been recognized for their exceptional creativity.

Researchers from the Universities of East Anglia and Stirling investigated the relationship between creativity and autistic traits in a large group of autistic and non-autistic people. In one minute, they had to develop as many creative uses for common objects or interpretations of ambiguous pictures as they could. Being on the autistic spectrum appears to be linked to the ability to generate more creative suggestions.

When we dig deeper, we find a plethora of examples of autism-related creativity. The recent findings and examples of creative autistic people in books, films, and on the internet, suggest that we should avoid becoming stuck in one way of thinking about autism.