Autistic artist Aariel Williams focuses on inclusion in life

By Ania Felder
Special Writer
Aariel Williams is a 36-year-old, full-time, autistic artist who auctions off and donates her artwork locally around Belleville and to the Autism Alliance of Michigan organization.
One of her most-recent paintings, “Racing for Inclusion,” was auctioned off for more than $600 at the Belleville Yacht Club and she plans to pass that money on to support her goal of inclusion.
Williams was diagnosed with autism when she was 2 or 3 years old. She was nonverbal until the age of 4 when her first words were “surprise,” “mom,” and “dad.”
Growing up she said she felt that doctors have had toxic misconceptions about autistic people.
“Now that’s not true. I learn differently and I work differently. There was a deep misconception that many autistic children cannot learn, nor will they function well. I say, not true.”
The self-titled “autistic artist” feels that doctors in today’s society have changed these toxic beliefs and have become more open, accepting, and aware towards autistic individuals.
Williams was willing to open up about some strengths and weaknesses she faces as an autistic person. Her strengths are listed as painting, basketball, babysitting, poetry, and math. She said she has a “calendar-calculator” brain, “meaning I could study and detect the day of the week that falls and matches divisibly by 28 years.”
Her weaknesses, she said, are sometimes “paying attention, social skills, stumbling on words, and adapting to changes.”
During grade school, academics were another weakness that she struggled with, but with the support of her family and tutoring she was able to turn that into another one of her strengths by the time she reached college.
Willams attended Hutchinson Elementary School, Joy Middle School, and graduated from both Martin Luther King High School and Go Lightly Career & Technical Center as a member of the National Honor Society and student council in 2006.
Despite being a full-time artist since grade school, Willams did not start painting professionally until her junior year of high school at age 17 when her mother and teachers encouraged her to become a professional artist as an outlet from the stress of schoolwork.
The first professional painting she ever created was of a pterodactyl dinosaur which she sold to her special education teacher.
After completing grade school in Detroit schools, Aariel moved with her family to Belleville in December of 2008. In Belleville she began pursuing her post high school education at Wayne County Community College District: Ted Scott Campus, between 2012 and 2018. In 2018, she graduated with an Associate of Arts Degree.
From there, Willams continued creating artwork and gives back to both of her communities: Belleville and Autism Alliance (which has been supporting her for 9 years as of 2025). She has donated and sold her paintings since 2021 to the Belleville Area District Library, Creative Arts Factory, Purpose Dentistry, and BYC. She then began donating the funds made from her work to the Autism Alliance in March of 2024.
From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Friday, March 7, Willams will host her first event for Autism Alliance at the Showplace Gallery in Novi. She will present the organization with the $600 check she got at the BYC and give a speech about why she chose to donate.
“I donate out of kindness, and to give back to my community,” she said.
A majority of her artwork is inspired by inclusion, and a mixture of things from her childhood such as Teddy bears, buses, and her imaginative personality.
Aside from local establishments, the public can see her paintings at the community art show each year, hosted by the Belleville Area Council for the Arts.
Willams said her main message behind her art is: “We must be inclusive in all things we do. My goal is to become an influencer, artist, and model. My other goal is to inspire others with my art and my story.”