Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen R Ott.

Hi Colleen R, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
How I got to where I am today… Persistence never giving up no matter how difficult anything was including subjects in school. I knew I was always a little different than everyone else and that could probably be because I was in special education from second grade to eighth grade until I fought to get out of special education. I with the help of my parents did I get out of the School District of Philadelphia. At eighth grade, they stated that I was on the fifth grade reading level, and I was not, I was reading my siblings vocabulary books, which were way different than what I was learning in school. I continue to do this because I wanted to get into a different school and out of special education.

I always had a difference as it came to night time and sleeping. I didn’t get much of that because I was processing my whole entire day. I was under diagnosed for much of my life it wasn’t until I received my diagnosis as being on the spectrum that I educated myself with the help of my supports after 2016, did I really understand my true potential. Everything I did was with a little bit more emphasis than other individuals, who were my age and other. That is the feedback that I got from educators, parents, counselors.

No matter what I would I never gave up?

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it wasn’t always a smooth road. Looking back and understanding why my family did what they did when they did, typically revolved around the fact that I was having moments of over, sensory, or overwhelmed due to the atmosphere around me or situations with an around family or family friends. I was always told that I was acting out, or I wanted attention. It was neither I was under diagnosed. My outbursts may have given off the vibe that I was angry, dissatisfied, or extremely frustrated around family & family-friends.

When I was younger, the things that would help regulate me was nature, water meant being around large bodies of water, like the ocean, or a river, or a lake in the Poconos. Never did, I realize until later, on in life, that large bodies of water is a sensory tool that helps to balance things out.

How I got around the obstacles and challenges I persist with what I was doing at the time vocalizing explaining nobody wanted to hear it. It didn’t dawn on me until I was older why I was the way I was. I’m grateful to what I know today. I Look back and want to thank all those who helped to mold me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional photographer, I have the ability of seeing an object and being able to paint it or sketch it.

Currently I am the Autistic Founder and CEO of The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia. What does that mean? It means that I help to two different communities, and in two different locations. The First Location is in the Historic Section of Tacony of Philadelphia The Second location is in America’s First Chinatown in Philadelphia. I have been known to bring Community Celebrity Teachers . Basically the AACOPhilly bring’s in professional artists from Communities within Philadelphia to teach. Individual teachers could be from the Autistic Community. Who comes out to our FREE Classes? Fellow Autistic, Neurodivergent, & intellectual disability individuals, and if under 18 with their Parent/ Guardian. * The Autistic Art, Coalition Of Philadelphia has also taught at the Please Touch Museum for the past three years.

Currently we have our 5th Art Exhibition in City Hall of Philadelphia, Pa., on the “People’s Floor” the 4th Floor & on the “Mayor’s Floor” the 2nd Floor the Exhibition can be visited during City Hall’s Business House of 10:00AM to 4:00PM Monday thru Friday. We will have out next Art Exhibition in July on the 11th of 2025. So, if you are an “Art Buyer” I invite you to come to see what the individuals from age 4 to 63 years old have submitted to be viewed by the public who enter inside of City Hall utilizing the Northeast Corner of City Hall. The 5th Art Exhibition of the AACOP will be up until April 25th, 2025.

During the Opening of the AACOPhilly’s 5th Art Exhibition we also distributed 15 awards called the “Neuroinclusion & Neurodiversity Award.” What is this? An award. Individuals are nominated throughout Philadelphia County, by somebody in their neighborhood/community, or a person who has a service and somebody wishes to nominate them. Everything is done anonymously if the individual wishes for that, we do live in uncertain times now, apparently. I have noticed that people or more likely to say that they don’t want to be known. I, being a retired emergency medical technician knows all about HIPPA – and though we are not in a medical background with * The Autistic Art Coalition Of Philadelphia, I keep my word.

Basically, I guess you could say I specialize in helping others express themselves to share how they see the world.

What’s next?
I would like to teach the coming generations on how to run * The Autistic Art, Coalition Of Philadelphia’s Volunteers. So that this is something that the generations after has to look forward to and help create art. I would like to open up a store for the Artist: at The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia. Just prior to the work that I have been doing with The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia. I had my own store in Lancaster city of Pennsylvania. Perhaps, we could get a store in Lancaster just as the McCaskey School does with BUiLDiNG CHARACTER the Co-op Shop.

I have big ideas, but I know that The Autistic Art Coalition of Philadelphia needs to find more volunteers, individuals who are of the community and not allies. Allies can help with big events.

I would like to eventually have some time to myself to create my own art and maybe work on my second book for my fourth album or figure out what is going on with the music and how to make money out of that because I have not found luck on my own yet. I mean the music is listen to it worldwide, but I do not know how to make money with my music. Maybe now is not the time. Perhaps I need to Just Keep on Keeping on with the AACOPhilly until duties become less and this is running like a well oiled machine. with some Quirkiness.

Friday, July 11th will be our next 6th Art Exhibition inside of the Tacony LAB Community Arts Center of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s this will be our 3rd Art Exhibition inside of The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center.

It would be nice if somehow I can incorporate finding Funding for Direct Transportation to an from Events for Staff/Volunteers & our Autistic Elders who which to come out to create art either because they stopped driving, don’t drive, can’t pay SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority)’s prices. Sometimes I wish we had a driver and a short-bus, and some way to pay the driver and have a gas card with funds. That is in the Far-Future.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AACOPhilly.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/AACOPhilly
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AACOPhilly
• Linkedin: Colleen R. Ott
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/colleen-r-ott
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/colleen-r-ott/1719753470