New Video

Can I share my latest short video? HORSE AND MAN shows my work with Max the horse at Sunrise, with some scenes of other places where I have worked with horses. I also share a related poem and my new painting for the Eden Mills Arts Festival. Thanks to Jesse for support at Sunrise and for his video skills and to Heidi for being my art mentor. To watch the video, click the picture or visit the link: https://youtu.be/vvSyMyPETO4


We are making various short videos so new friends and supporters can understand how best to encourage me to do my best and realize my dreams. It's also a kind of social story to see myself in everyday activities. The day we filmed this video was actually "grey" for me but I tried my best.

My rock collection

I like to travel--just about anywhere. California for sure and to revisit New Zealand where I was born. I specially love to travel by train. But my sensory and movement differences get in the way.

My friends who do travel bring back rock samples as well as photographs and postcards. I have a special rock cabinet with the rocks labelled with their composition and the place they were picked up. I have rocks from all over Canada from the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland to Yellowknife. From outside Canada too, in various parts of the US and the Caribbean, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Russia, Korea and New Zealand.

I have just been given a collection of special rocks from northern Ontario by a geologist Lindsay Debono. Stuart is helping me to post photographs of them.

Two Videos Posted to my YouTube!

1. Two videos just posted:

Listen to Us!

The May 2016 gathering of Bridges-Over-Barriers in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. This time we were seven adults from around southern Ontario with messages also from two more distant members, Tim in Antigonish and Kevin in Petrolia. We all use supported communication as we cannot speak with our voices because of our movement and sensory differences. We meet to share news, challenges and strategies and this time exchanged ideas about how we can ensure that it is really our words that are heard. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjEWaSBw7E

 Music for my Body, Mind and Soul

As a man who lives with complex health challenges and movement and sensory differences, I talk about how music and rhythm help me. I made this video for my friend Dr Sunyoung Kim who organized a jazz concert in Seoul, Korea on 25 January 2017, at which some of my poems, set to music, were performed. 

This video was also seen at the concert but I gave its name afterwards. 

You could view one or more of the 15 video files from the concert, including Andrew’s songs set to music, by cutting and pasting this search into your browser:

<2017 Music Therapeutic Story Concert "Autistic Poet Andrew's music story">

Link to my short film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jluvDkoePvg&feature=youtu.be

If you enjoyed the videos, you can Subscribe to  my YouTube channel 😄

Some Concert Photos

Just received these photos from my great music friend in Korea--of last week's jazz concert in Seoul that was inspired by our music relationship.

Some New Poems

I had a good conversation over the weekend, typing to talk my thoughts. Though my head felt in a fog to start with, I was able to express myself and brought out two poems that have been waiting in my head for some time. They are inspired by our work with colours as well as my relationships with different friends.

My eyes are my camera to the world

AB 28 January 2017

My eyes are my camera to the world:

I see what my senses are allowing me.

The sight is just of ways I actually see:

I need my whole body to make it focus.

When my body is in turmoil

my sight is unclear

and it is like a fog.

When I am balanced and feeling my best

my sight is clear and bright.

It takes all of the energy I have

to use my senses together.

Red, green, orange, yellow, purple and blue

are bright and happiness is felt.

Grey and black leave me with doubt.

White is clear and empty and unfinished.

It is a good day to see the bright colours and it gives me joy.

I need all of these colours to make my life choices.

I need the grey and black colours

to give me gratitude for the bright days.

It is through the ears and nose and mouth

and also my fingers

that I truly can see through my eyes.

It is a big film

taking place in my mind

before I have this sight.

This is a camera of many different lenses.

I see life as I sense and feel it.

It is a series not a one-time film.

My friends are the heartbeat of my home

AB, 28 January 2017

My friends are the heartbeat of my home.

Each one brings a different tone and rhythm;

together they make an orchestra.

I have the bold and triumphant

who bring the new ideas and loud change.

The soft and slower moving bring

a calm and soothing  tune.

I feel the song come to life as they enter my home.

Each of my friends is a gift with different tunes to sing.

It reminds me of different birds.

Sometimes are the tunes are bit fast and confusing

while others are relaxing.

It is always a nice song each day brings

with new and old friends entering my home.

It is a beautiful song to hear when we are together.

A Tribute to my Friends

I am fortunate to have some wonderful friends around the world, and to be connected to their friends as well. My friend Sunyoung KJim, whom I call Sunny, recently completed her PhD in Korea with a dissertation based on our collaboration while she lived in Guelph. She is now planning the 4th in her series of:

Music Therapeutic Concerts: Andrew's Music Story in Kimhae on January 25, 2017.  

Sunny will be a storyteller of the concert, and 7 old friends will be introduced.  

1st: Andrew Bloomfield  

2nd: Vibraphone (Vibist), Jazz Drummer Minsu Lim  

3rd: Jazz Drummer, Music Director for this concert Yeojung Heo  

4th: Jazz Guitar, Vocal Hongseok Kim  

5th: Blus Guitar, Vocal Dalim Kangheo  

6th: Jazz Bass, Contrabass Byunghun Lee  

7th: Jazz Bass Wooyoung Lee 

The musicians are all Sunny's longtime friends and associated with the Seoul Jazz Academy. They are really famous musicians and all teach at Korean universities.

Bulk Microgreens

Good afternoon friends. Here is an update on my microgreen hobby. I have now started to make it a little more large scale. These are sunflower microgreens. For those interested, there are so many various microgreens that you can grow. And they are often more nutritious than their mature adult version. I recommend trying some, you can really cut back on the produce you buy in stores!