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Cleo Heard (Miss*C’s Graffiti Academy) Dyspraxia

Name: Cleo Heard
ND Type/s: Dyspraxia
What do you do: Graffiti Academy Owner and Art Psychotherapist
Where do you live: Devon UK

How did you start your day today? Do you have a morning routine? What do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?

I start every day the same way, wishing I could stay in bed for another hour. I am a creature of habit… always eating the same thing for breakfast, and believe good diet is essential. So much so I am alcohol, caffeine, gluten free and have regular nutritional therapy with the fabulous @sarahbayliss

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?

Before Covid, my job as a graffiti workshop facilitator kept me super fit, I did yoga classes and had adult swimming lessons (knowing I have dyspraxia was so helpful) and swam 4 times a week.
During lockdown I found Qigong via the brilliant @theqigang and I took up running but that is on hold while I deal with injury. I have always danced at any opportunity and I attend the incredible @lovetolearnto breathwork classes for relaxation.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?

All the swear words and the word squidgy

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed your life?

Wintering by Katherine May (currently listening to this for the second time)
Insanely Gifted by Jamie Catto
A Year of Living Simply by Katie Humble
This Book will Change Your Mind about Mental Health by Nathan Filer

Currently reading: Environmental Arts Therapy and the Tree of Life by Ian Siddons Heginworth

The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton is the book that made me fall in love with reading even though I have always found it difficult.

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?

The Verve – Urban Hymns
Faithless – The Greatest Hits
The Cure – Greatest Hits
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Sleeper – The It Girl

There are sooooo many more I would choose.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?

I’m not sure I’ve ever received a “best piece of advice” but I am definitely a firm believer in trusting your gut feeling – if it doesn’t feel right, it often isn’t.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?

My first love was dancing, and I always thought I would be a dancer, but I got retired professionally as a ballerina at 14. I did continue to dance, taking a Contemporary dance A-level and one of my first jobs was dancing on podiums in clubs and at raves! I sold mobile phones with bleary eyes in the daylight hours.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?

I have had the Graffiti Academy for the past 12 years and I have recently qualified as an art therapist. I have always observed with wonder the therapeutic benefits of creativity. I had explored becoming an art therapist when I was 19, in fact I interviewed for the art therapy qualification at the same university twice. Only took me 25 years to qualify as one!

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?

I completely agree, I’m often the person that notices stuff other people don’t. I also have an eerie intuition! I can also trip over my own shadow VERY easily.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?

This happens a LOT and I am learning what helps me get back on track. I listen to studying frequencies when I am trying to read, prefer low lighting and being outside. Working in the depths of the night, away from all distractions, always helps. I wrote my dissertation between midnight and 4am – every night – for weeks. I’m a fan of a to-dah list (listing the things as you achieve them), creative journaling and I NEED water! Hot baths, being by or in the sea and swimming all reset me.

Colour-coded schedules rock my world!! My student planner is how my dyspraxia was detected – by an eagle-eyed disability coordinator at my university!

How does your Neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically.

I’m not sure how it affects my relationships – I am still working this out after only receiving my diagnosis 3 years ago. I am super sensitive to noise, light and temperature which is often difficult for others to understand. Oh, and I find the unknown, secrets and surprises quite difficult. The lockdowns have taught me that I am an introvert that can mimic being super sociable but not for long. I certainly recharge best in isolation and when in nature.

What makes you happy?

Spending time with my grown-up children, my baby nephew, and friends. Traveling! When that was a thing! Being by the sea, new art supplies, the smell of vanilla, Fry’s Turkish Delight, clothes with the labels cut out, dancing, sleeping, breathing, journaling, colour-coding, good food, warm weather, my she-shed, sunsets and amazing views.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Without a doubt getting my children to adulthood.

In second place would be my qualifications – especially now I understand how difficult it is for me to read, study and retain information.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?

I truly believe neurodiversity is a superpower!

My billboard would say something like: Love your neurotypical friends.

They have no idea how interesting life can be.

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

I have social media, website, and LinkedIn as Miss*C’s Graffiti Academy

Website: Miss Graffiti Academy
Instagram: @misscgraffitacademy
Facebook: MissCsGraffitiAcademy

And as Creative Journaling for Wellbeing on Instagram
Instagram: @creativejournalingforwellbeing

I am in the process of building a website for my art therapy practice and can be emailed at:

Email: cleo.art.therapy (at) gmail.com

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Paul Stevenson. Tourette Syndrome, co-occurring conditions, ADHD, OCD, Sensory processing Disorder

Name: Paul Stevenson
ND Type/s: Tourette Syndrome, co-occurring conditions, ADHD, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder
What do you do: Ambassador at Genius Within / Blooming Genius Foundation.
Where do you live: Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland

How did you start your day today? Do you have a morning routine? What do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?
Drink a cup of water, eat cereal, daily meds, one cup of tea.

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?
I lift weights in the gym. I get respite from my TS (Tourette Syndrome) via photography and editing.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
50p, although this is one of my more pleasant vocal tics. It was inspired by a lyric from a Boom Town Rats song called Rat Trap, “It’s cold on that road, but it’s got that home beat. Deep down in her pocket, she finds 50p. Now is that any way for a young girl to be?”

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed your life?
Sadly, I have difficulty with reading, but I can highly recommend a book written by Janis Sharp: Extradition a mother’s story about her son Gary Mckinnon, and the battle of extradition, but I might be a little biased, as I appear in the book.

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?
1. The Undertones, The Undertones
2. Out of the Blue, ELO
3. Wish you were here, Pink Floyd.
4. Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell,
5. Depeche Mode, People are people.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
Never eat yellow snow

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?
A dancer on Top of the Pops. Chopping plastic in a plastic reclamation factory.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
Ambassador at Genius Within and Blooming Genius Foundation, I was invited to join them after appearing on the BBC’s Employable Me first series.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?
Yes , I have always been creative, but did not realise its significance until I was diagnosed aged 46. Now I have the privilege of being creative in my job, and I also run a camera creativity workshop.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
I am often overwhelmed. I have social anxiety and because I have vocal and motor tics, it increases. It’s a vicious circle. I use my phone and editing apps to be creative if I am travelling on public transport, as this environment is a trigger for my anxiety.

How does your Neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically?
Because of my TS and ADHD, I lack filters and am easily distracted. Both of these things can create problems within all types of relationships.

What makes you happy?
Raising positive awareness, helping folk, and if I am not able to help in a direct way, it makes me happy to assist and signpost people to the correct support. Thanks to the internet, this can be anywhere in the world.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
It has to be my family, and I am in a privileged position to be able to help the ND community.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?
“I am not broken and don’t need fixing.”
Also
“Some say do not judge a book by its cover, I say do not judge!”

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Genius Within

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Carolyn Manning, ADHD

Name: Carolyn Manning
ND Type/s: ADHD
What do you do? Key Account Manager for a travel company
Where do you live: Oakland, California

How did you start your day today? Do you have a morning routine? What do you have for breakfast, do you think diet is important?
I started my morning at 4:30am when my flat mate burst through my door and said she needed a ride to the airport. We couldn’t take my car as earlier this week I had dropped my car keys down the elevator shaft, so we needed to take a friend’s car, which all made it a very hectic start to the day.

I called my closest friend from Australia when I got home, knowing she would still be awake and then I facetimed my friend who works on this website. We discussed this interview, and I explained that I was hesitant to do it because I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD, and was feeling a case of imposter syndrome, but he suggested I take some time out on my own to answer the questions and then decide if I wanted to go ahead, so here I am! During the call he watched me lose my house keys, make instant noodles for breakfast and debate whether I had left the stove on as I drove to work late (despite waking up 3 hours early), my phone then died because I didn’t charge it the night before. This type of chaos is pretty common in my life.

My typical morning includes me pressing snooze over and over, and then rushing out of the house with a granola bar. I bike to the BART and head towards San Francisco, in which I bike another 3 miles along the beautiful bay to work. I do think a good diet is important, but mine could use some work.

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?
To stay active I bike, run, walk and from time to time do yoga. I sometimes have trouble relaxing unless I’m really tired. The lockdowns helped me appreciate home time in a way I never have. I enjoy lighting candles, listening to music, playing with my tarot cards, drinking a glass of wine or tea and sitting on my living room floor.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
I like the word “absolutely”. It seems affirming, positive and smart. I’m a YES girl, and this fits right into that.

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed your life?
I have trouble sitting down and reading a book to be honest. As a kid I read nonstop, but now there are so many distractions that I have to really enjoy the book to get through it. The last book I read and enjoyed was “Tales of the City” which is lovely tribute to San Francisco in the 70s. I have a romance with places, and San Francisco was my first true love, so I really connected with this book and all of the wonderful characters that reminded me of people I know.

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?
This question is too hard!
1. Something to bring me joy: Best of Fleetwood Mac
2. Something to scream along with: Jagged Little Pill-Alanis Morsette
3. Something to cry with: Lungs-Florence and the Machine
4. Something to sing along with: A musical of some sort. Maybe Wicked or Rent
5. Something to dance to: I need to think about this one. Is it hip hop? Is it Motown? I’m sorry but I just can’t decide.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
“You can have it all, just not at the same time”. I think I read it somewhere, but it really stuck with me and it helps me to appreciate the exact place that I am at, even when certain parts of my life aren’t where I want them to be.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?
When I was young I wanted to be a journalist for the entertainment section of the New York Times. My dream was to write about shows on broadway. My very first job was in fast food for about 3 weeks and then I stopped appearing on the schedule. I apparently wasn’t very good at it, but I started working at a coffee shop right after and I loved it. I’ve worked at a few coffee shops in my life and the regulars are such a special part of the job.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
I work as an account manager in travel. I never saw myself working in travel but it just kind of happened 10 years ago. I worked as a tour guide for years and that was really good for my skill set, but eventually I wanted to make more money and live a more consistent lifestyle. Working in an office job can be really hard for me on the day to day, but my company entertains my big ideas and allows me to be creative within my role.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?
I honestly don’t know. I know for me personally I’m addicted to new beginnings and I’m an experience junkie. I want to try things a different way nearly every time and I’m obsessed with new ideas. This is a hard question, because despite being praised for creativity and dreaming big, these tendencies have been a hindrance for me as well.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
It is a daily struggle. To-do lists help. It also helps when I have other people to do things with. My old flat mate and I used to do power-hours with timers and that was good for me. Noise cancelling headphones are crucial as well. I’m not a great sleeper but getting a good night’s sleep is really helpful.

How does your Neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically.
If I’m “on” I can work the room. I do well in large groups, and I think that is partly attributed to neurodiversity. It takes a lot for me to get socially exhausted, and the more people there are to talk to, the more energy I have. I really value my friendships and relationships and I am good at maintaining them, despite the idea that people with ADHD get bored of their friends… that is not the case for me. I’m often the “planner” amongst my friend groups. Romantically I can have trouble deciding what I want and committing to the idea of someone… because I want my life to be exciting and fun, but I also want a family and a life partner.

What makes you happy?
Connection: physical, emotional, intellectual.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?
I would have billboards that are distracting in the best sort of way. Beautiful paintings, or an entire billboard of glitter, another of fur. They would be different and eye catching and they would say that it’s okay to get distracted, or something along the lines of “it’s okay to look at shiny things”. I’m in a constant state of distraction, and within that I get to see SO much beauty in the world. Despite the fact that I often struggle and beat myself up about not being able to focus, I want people to know that it’s not always a bad thing. Yes, the excel sheet is hard for me, but you get to see so much when you are looking up.

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

They can add me on IG @carolynlemon

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Steve Chapman (aka stevexoh) Dyslexia, borderline ASD

Name: Steve Chapman (aka stevexoh)
ND Type/s: Dyslexia, borderline ASD
What do you do: Artist, writer, speaker
Where do you live: Surrey, UK

How did you start your day today? Do you have a morning routine? What do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?

Today began with the dog waking me up and then snuggling up for a cuddle. I really wanted to get up and get on with things but she was so cuddly and dogs are with us for such a short time so I lay in bed with her for a while and appreciated the experience. Eventually I got up, took her for a walk/me for a coffee then back to the Art Bunker to start doing stuff.

I have more of a routine now that I am travelling less, especially since the lockdowns began. Normally it involves dog walk/coffee (sometimes my wife comes with me), breakfast in the Art Bunker and then getting on with whatever I need to get on with.

I also have a breakfast routine now. For about 2 years now, I have a mix of porridge oats, museli and bran with cold milk and, if we have any, a cut-up banana. For me a good diet is really important, especially as I’m getting older. I’ve been vegetarian for around 14 years now which means that I’ve got used to really thinking about what I eat and checking the ingredients before I do and I’m always conscious about what I might be lacking and what my body is telling me to have more of.

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?

I walk a lot. I try to walk everywhere I can. When I go into London my train comes into Waterloo and if I’m going anywhere south of Kings Cross, east of Hyde Park or West of Tower Bridge I will walk. Also, having a dog is a great reason to walk and I take Poppy for a good 10km walk at least 3 or 4 times a week.

I still run but not as much as I used to. I used to run around 30km a week but started to get knee problems so I had to cut back. Nowadays I try to do a minimum of one 10km run per week. If I go more than 7 days without running I feel it starts to affect my mind in that it gets anxious and clogged up.

Relaxing is an interesting thing for me in that I’m not sure I ever do it. At least not while I’m awake as I’m always making something or doing something, constantly mentally or physically active. I guess the time I relax is when I sleep. I’ve always been a good sleeper and I love sleeping. Somebody said to me sleeping is a waste of life, but I disagree. I think habitually watching dull TV is a waste of life – sleeping is a magical part of life. I think because I have such an active mind, I burn up a lot of energy during the day, so sleep is my method of renewal and recovery.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?

I quite like the word Spong. It’s not in the dictionary but colloquially it means a photoshopped image of a face that has been manipulated to make the main features disproportionately bigger (the opposite of Gnops which is to make the features disproportionately smaller). I just like the sound of the word Spong rather than that definition. I created a fake poster for a music festival called Spongfest and put them all over London and my online outsider art gallery is called The Spongleheim. (www.spongleheim.com). Both of those things were successful, so to me it is a magical word.

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed your life?

I’m not a very good reader to be honest. I’m a good reader in terms of understanding and processing words but the dyslexic trait that trips me up is my working memory which means I often get a bit lost and end up re-reading things many times. I like reading existential philosophy which is probably the worst thing to read with a poor working memory!

Earlier this year I read “Escape from Freedom” by Erich Fromm which has really influenced my thinking (to be a little more accurate, I read bits of it but listened to the audio book in full). I’m not sure there’s a book that’s changed my life but many like this one that have had an influence on my work.

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?

Oh that’s such a difficult question and I know that the moment I answer this I’ll want to change my mind. But here goes…

1. “Why me? (Live in Berlin)” by Daniel Johnston
2. “Take it from the man” by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
3. “The last time I did acid I went insane” by Jeffrey Lewis
4. “I like it when you smile” by Jad Fair
5. “Keb Darge’s Legendary Deep Funk volume I”

So many I’d miss (sorry Nick Drake and Pavement) but assuming that it’s an emergency and I’ve got to just grab 5, it would be those.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?

Hmm. Another difficult one. Maybe Keith Johnstone, the theatre director who I learnt improv from. He said something like “There are two types of people. Those who say yes and those who say no. Those who say “no” are rewarded with the safety they attain. Those who say “yes” are rewarded with the adventures they have.” I find that a good philosophy for living life.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?

I remember at age 11 wanting to work in radio, draw comics and make music. But by the time I left secondary school I’d learnt that wasn’t a “proper” job and, as I wasn’t any good at the sensible adult subjects, I got a job in a factory packing boxes.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?

I do lots of things that don’t easily fit into a label that conveniently describes it. But the easiest way to explain what I do is to say I’m an artist, writer and speaker interested in creativity and the human condition. How I got into it… well I think it was a gradual letting go of things that I felt I ought to be doing as an adult and gradually reconnecting with that 11 year old kid that used to make radio shows in his bedroom, draw comics and write music. That process of letting go started in my mid 30s and has continued ever since.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?

For me this is a bit too complicated for a yes or no answer. I think it is dangerously convenient to make a blanket association between the creativity and neurodiversity without really considering what on earth we mean by “creativity”. I was on a panel talking about dyslexia and creativity back in 2020 and one of the audience said “I’m dyslexic but I’m not creative so I feel like a DOUBLE failure.” I found that heart-breaking. This person felt like a double failure not because they’re un-creative but because they were judging themselves by society’s narrow, reductionist definition of what creativity is. The person felt uncreative because they couldn’t make art like the art they had seen in galleries, because they couldn’t sing like the people they had seen sing on TV and that made them feel like a failure. This is the problem of linking the two without really exploring what we mean by creativity.

I think of creativity as our moment-by-moment capacity to realise spontaneous freedom of self. To tune into our here and now “live” experience in such a way that we cannot help but notice more, make connections and improvise with what the world is presenting to us. And whilst this may manifest in what society defines as “creativity” such as making art, it is infinitely broader than that alone.

So, with this broader concept of creativity in mind I can’t help but think that some of the gifts of neuro-diversity better enable those who possess them to move through the world in a more creative way. Talking personally, I think my dyslexia allows me to see patterns that aren’t obvious to others, to connect things that aren’t overtly connected and an ability to perceive and explore tangents. I said in an interview recently that dyslexia sort of predisposes us to live life in a more artful way as we naturally experience the world as a bit wonky. Similarly, I think the ASD traits that I have mean that I am brilliant at noticing things, noticing detail and detail within detail and, at the same time having an incredibly broad peripheral awareness. Combine all of those together with a vivid imagination and it explains why I don’t have to go searching for ideas (see below for the downsides to all of this).

So, to get back to your original question, yes – I think if we are talking about this broader concept of creativity then I think that the various neurodiverse super-powers can be a gift.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?

I like the Buddhist idea of moving towards that which we would rather avoid and I try to practice this. If I am feeling anxious I try to be curious about my anxiety rather than run away from it. If I am feeling stuck, I try to be curious about my stuckness rather than try to overcome it. And I’ll typically do this through art. I will start to make marks on paper in response to my experience of anxiety. Or I will start to draw stuckness. (I use anxiety and stuckness as examples but the same for anything I might be struggling with). And through responding to it in this way it helps me develop a better understanding of what’s going on for me that, even if It doesn’t dissipate what I am feeling, helps me be more ok with not being ok. And more often than not it will end up as a piece of art, which is why I often say that creating is my therapy. It is often bits of art that have originated in this way that other people love because they can see something of themselves in it.

In the 1:1 work I do with people I encourage them to do the same. You’re feeling un-creative – draw feeling uncreative. You’re in the grip of your inner critic – make a plasticine model of your inner critic. You’re feeling anxious – dance your anxiety. It doesn’t need to make any sense and it is just for you – you don’t need to explain it to anyone else.

I’m not a fan of hacks or apps that present themselves as a one-size-fits all fixer as everyone is different and often, when they don’t work, the person blames themselves and feels worse. What I love about taking a more artful approach is that the process is “one-size-fits-one.” The influential psychotherapist Laura Perls once said that “every patient needs their own new form of therapy” in reference to this.

How does your Neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I’ve only really got to better understand my neuro-diversity later in life. I’ve never been officially diagnosed and it was only when I read my daughter’s dyslexia assessment 6 or 7 years ago that I realised it could just as easily be describing me. The same with the traits of ASD I have – I only started to realise these through learning more about autism and doing a number of self-assessments that helped me recognise them in myself.

I think that now that I am older (48) I have started to develop a more symbiotic relationship with how my brain is wired and that makes things a lot easier. However, social interaction remains challenging, especially in certain situations. Whilst I’m more than happy to stand on stage and give a talk to 1,000s of people the thought of going to a dinner party where I don’t know anyone makes me squirm. I find small talk excruciating especially dreaded questions such as “What do you do?” These questions feel to me like robotic social conventions rather than a genuine curiosity as to what the answer might be. I’d be much happier diving straight into “Hi there, do you feel we experience a totally subjective reality or are there elements of what is out-there that are universally objectively true?”

I find informal networking or mingling very difficult and I am regularly in these situations at events, conferences, festivals (etc). In advance of these situations, I’m always imagining that I’m going to be the life and soul of the party, flitting between people with confidence and making a plethora of new friends, being invited to come and join groups (etc). But the reality is that I feel like I regress to being about 5 years old and try to find a way to leave or hide!

One of the most problematic ASD traits I have is incredibly poor sensory gating – difficulty in tuning out of sensory stimulation (the upside is that this is another superpower for creativity as my senses are constantly bombarded with potential things to connect). I am easily distracted by things in my peripheral awareness but the thing I am most sensitive to is sound (also known as misophonia). This is really problematic if I am with someone in a busy place and someone else is, for example, talking loudly on the phone or chewing noisily or tapping their feet. The person could be on the other side of the room and I will hear their voice/chewing/tapping as prominently as the voice of the person I’m with, which makes it difficult for me to remain fully present. I’ve never found a way of coping with this so all I can do is to tell others about it – to say I am easily distracted by noise and apologise. It’s become so much worse with the advent of mobile phones, especially people who use the loudspeakers on them to take calls or play music or games. Noise cancelling headphones have been my saviour many times, especially when travelling. I honestly would rather accidently leave my phone at home than my headphones.

I’ve known my wife for 21 years now so she knows my foibles and understands them, which I very much appreciate so this is mainly a problem for me outside of the home (although neighbour noise is always problematic for me at home, even with very quiet neighbours).

What makes you happy?

Ha! I’m not very good at giving simple answer to these questions am I?! I think maybe I’ve thought too deeply about these things for too many years so there’s always an unravelling of the question before I can get close to an answer.

I’ve been asked the question “Are you happy?” many times and my answer is always “I don’t know.” But that doesn’t mean I’m sad either. Happiness just feels too much of a binary concept for me to answer in a way that is true to my experience. What I would say is that I notice moments when I am in creative flow, where I experience no inhibition, no separation between mind, body and my environment. Moments where I feel fully alive, vibrant, in harmony. And those moments tend to be when I am fully immersed in something, that could be making a piece of art, running in the woods, talking to somebody where we have shared fascination about something. I think that’s the closest that can get to describing happiness as those moments are magical.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

For a moment I thought I was going to go off on another weird tangent but I then I realised I can answer this one.

For me my biggest achievement has been slowly letting go of who I “ought” to be and allowing myself to become more of who I already was. For as long as I can remember I’ve always felt I was different, that I was weird, so from a young age I used up a lot of energy modifying how I was in their world so that I would fit in. As I think I mentioned earlier (no working memory, apologies!) it wasn’t until my mid 30s that I started to realise that this didn’t have to be the case and I slowly started allowing more of my natural born wonkiness to emerge. This has been a gradual process but has resulted in some big things, such as leaving a secure 9-5 corporate job, walking away from various bits of freelance work that just didn’t feel like the right fit and rediscovering my artistic practice. I’m grateful to mid-30s me that he didn’t suppress those quiet whispers and just carry on trying to fit in as I know I would have come to regret it in later life.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?

I do! I think that it’s a real step forward that the conversation around neurodiversity is starting to become a bit more prominent, but it still feels to me a bit one-sided. It is of course supremely important that neurodiverse people aren’t disadvantaged in society, especially in the workplace and the more that can be done to create niche environments in which they can thrive the better. For me, this is a given, a baseline, a foundation.

The thing I am most passionate about is the other side of the coin where the world turns to the neurodiverse to learn from them and the diverse ways in which we make sense of the world. The late Amanda Baggs sums this up brilliantly “I find it very interesting by the way that failure to learn your language is seen as a deficit but failure to learn my language is seen as so natural.” Change comes about through novelty encountering normality and in a world where it feels like we are embroiled in or on the brink of unprecedented challenges, diversity of thought is absolutely critical.
So my positive ND message on billboards around the globe would be – Neurodiverse people of earth, the planet needs your beautiful minds now more than ever. But it isn’t solely your job to translate your perspective so that others can understand. It is also the job of others to learn your language and how to see the world like you do.

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

Instagram

Twitter

And I have a website with blogs I’ve written, talks I’ve done, interviews, podcasts and other weird and wonderful stuff here: Can Scorpions Smoke

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+Stories

Emily Horton – Dyslexia

Name: Emily Horton
ND Type/s: Dyslexia
What do you do: Founder of inclusive communications consultancy More Diverse Voices
Where do you live: London

How did you start your day today? Do you have a morning routine? What do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?
Now that I work from home I wake up and either go for a run or make it down to my local gym. There’s a lovely local park just around the corner from me and my runs there got me through lockdown. It even has a little pond with a family of turtles living in it.
I’ve actually never been a fan of breakfast. I wake up and I’m just not hungry, so I’ve accidentally been doing intermittent fasting for some time now.

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?
I fell in love with an app called FiiT over lockdown, it’s a workout app that has 25/40 minute workouts for all abilities. I really like having someone there telling what to do, otherwise I just wouldn’t push myself as hard. I relax by playing video games, I love RPGs – like the Witcher 3. I also read, write, cook, do yoga and have recently enjoyed rewatching all of the marvel films in chronological order.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. I have it tattooed on my arm.

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed your life?
The Four Agreements and the Mastery of Love –  Don Miguel Ruiz.
The School of Life – Alain De Botton
Invisible Women –  Caroline Criado-Perez

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?
Joni Mitchell, Blue
Jon Hopkins, Singularity
Robyn, Honey
Hamilton the musical
KAYTRANADA, 99.9%

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
Something along the lines of “life is not a race, everyone is in their own lane”. This was from my partner Matt 🙂

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?
A vet! I was obsessed with elephants and wildlife. My first job was working in the outdoor hiking store Blacks on the weekends. My first full time role after university was for PR agency Seven Hills.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
I’m the founder of an inclusive communications consultancy called More Diverse Voices, which I founded after completing a fellowship with the social impact post-graduate programme Year Here. Before this, I spent two and half years as a financial journalist at Dow Jones and then about 4 years working in PR across the charity sector and the private sector.  I’ve always been interested in the power of words, ever since I was little and found out I am dyslexic. Language is like a code, but for human interaction. One wrong word and you can bring someone to tears. But if you get them in the right order, with the right tone, you can also have incredibly difficult conversations where no one gets hurt in the process.  I have also always found it interesting how words can exclude people. For example, I felt excluded from our education system, as it wasn’t really designed for someone like me to flourish without additional support. If I hadn’t been born into my family or given a tutor from a young age, I definitely wouldn’t have achieved the grades I did or have the confidence to apply for the head girl position of my school and then eventually Cambridge University. It makes me so upset to think about all the people who aren’t given those opportunities.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?
Yes absolutely! I know I connect the dots differently from other people. I think laterally, so see a problem not in a logically step by step way, but as a huge network of different interconnecting issues. It’s why I love working in social impact now because it’s all about solving problems in new and innovative ways. Also, when I’m focused on an idea, it means I have a huge amount of energy to get stuff done. A lot of creativity isn’t coming up with new ideas, it’s having the perseverance to try them out.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
All the time. My mind buzzes with ideas, sometimes I get overwhelmed by them and have to go for a walk around the park to calm myself down. I find I’m most productive first thing in the morning, so if I need to write an article or a big proposal, I try to get that done by 11am and then have a break. I also love Notion as a tool to help keep organised, particularly their timeline tool which helps me plan out projects and also helps me visualise timings and deadlines.

How does your Neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically.
Professional – It’s hard to constantly have to re-explain why something might take longer for you (especially when it comes to writing) or why your work might have a few spelling mistakes, even though you proofread something 20 times. I still feel a sense of shame around being dyslexic, which I’m working to unlearn. I used to get really emotional about explaining things to my managers. I do think more needs to be done so that everyone can explain what they need to work at their best. This responsibility shouldn’t rest solely with the individual.

What makes you happy?
Walking to get a cup of coffee from my local coffee shop.
Helping others with the skill set I have
Learning something new
Spending time with my family, friends and my beautiful partner Matt

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Setting up More Diverse Voices and launching it in front of an audience of hundreds of people. I had to learn a 5 minute speech off by heart (TED talk style). I wrote the entire thing myself and spent hours practicing it in front of the mirror. I was really proud of the outcome and managed to raise £4500 to help set my venture up.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world?
Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?

Be kind, as you never know what someone is going through.
OR
Real social change must be intersectional.

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

More Diverse Voices 
Linkedin
Twitter

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+Stories

Alex Odam – ADHD & OCD

This ND + Story is from Alex Odam, a London-based Director of Photography, Editor & Colourist.

 

 

Name: Alex Odam
ND Type/s: ADHD & OCD
What do you do: Director Of Photography & Editor
Where do you live: Wimbledon

How did you start your day – do you have a morning routine. And what do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?
I don’t really have a set morning routine. But I start my day after I’ve made myself a proper espresso, which I have with a smoke. I don’t have breakfast.

How do you stay active?
I don’t drive, so get around on my Carerra road bike, my micro scooter or I walk really fast! Something I do, is set myself mini challenges, my own little races – whether it’s against myself, my watch or a bus. I randomly start a race with a car, another person or anything else going in my direction. If I lose, I immediately start my next race. When I win, it’s like I’ve won a Grand Prix r.

What do you do to relax?
Two ways. 1) I have a high-spec F1 racing simulator, a very realistic experience where I find peace in the rhythm, fully emersed.
2) I relax on my sofa watching a well-made TV show, documentary or film, looking out for inspiration and evolving my skill set.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
It is what it is.

Have you read, watched or seen anything good recently? Is there a book, play or film that moved you?
Clockwork Orange – both the book and the film, together.

Which 5 albums will you want to have with you on a desert island?
• Dark Side of The Moon – Pink Floyd
• Discovery – Daft Punk
• The Night Fly – Donald Fagen
• Submarine – Alex Turner
• Selling England by The Pound – GENESIS
• PLAY – Moby

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
Reddit.com/r/ADHD

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?
Filmmaker. My first job was when I was twelve and I got paid £500 to design a band’s touring merch.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
I’m a director of photography, editor, a colourist. I’m a multi-instrumentalist recording artist and I make film scores.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?
YES 100% It’s like we see, feel and sense in 4D, rather than 3D. We are open, curious, look deeper and experience emotions authentically.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
Be kind to yourself, kind in spades. A deep breath, slow down and take it easy. And when the time is up and a call comes in. Take it

What makes you happy?
• Family, people I love, those who are close to me. Formula 1.
• Having been fortunate enough to share my love with a child. Nurturing.
• Seeing stuff that is made well and designed beautifully.
• Listening to good music, on good speakers, or headphones. Always.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
At 18 I got a job with Google on a £40K pa salary. After that I spent 8 years working on the BBC’s Apprentice

Does your neurodiversity have an impact on the way you approach relationships?
Yes, 100%. I come clean pretty much straight away.

Tell us something about your ND experience, that you think not many people will know, or understand?
We live with our hearts on our sleeves. We feel deeply, we love, we live.

If given the choice, right now, to start over again – to ND or not ND?
I would not change anything

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world. What would you say?
I would make a film, shoot, direct, edit and tell the story where the main character’s antagonist is his ADHD. It would be a visual and immersive experience.

Final question – where can people find out more about you. Do you have a website and social media pages.

My website

Vimeo

Instagram

Categories
+Stories

Lennie Varvarides – Dyslexia & ADHD

This ND + Story is from Lennie, Creative Producer, of DYSPLA, a neurodivergent-led, award-winning arts studio producing and developing the work of neurodivergent storymakers, supported by the Arts Council England.

DYSPLA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Lennie Varvarides
ND Type/s: Mainly Dyslexic and ADHD
What do you do: I am the founder of DYSPLA and also run a talent agency called MSFT Management.
Where do you live: North London

How did you start your day? Do you have a morning routine? Do you think a good diet is important?
I always aim for a morning routine. I long for one. When I am good, I follow the rule of waking up early to read or write. I used to meditate in the mornings too - but I have not felt as zen since Lockdown and I am not really keeping up my meditation routine. I find it takes a lot of discipline to stay consistent and sometimes, discipline needs discipline. Breakfast is a big deal in our home. It’s the only meal we all eat together at the table, so yes, it’s important.

How do you stay active?
I love to walk and aim for 13K steps a day. Before Lockdown I had a good physical routine that involved cycling to work and swimming once a week. I even started jogging… but that all went out the window when I put on my Lockdown weight, and I have not been good at shifting it.

What do you do to relax?
I love reading - I never thought I would say that, but I do. In 2018 I started reading and that was the first time since doing my MA. Working life takes hold of you and it’s hard to learn how to carve out time for yourself. Organising my time never came easy, so I have missed out on a lot of personal development.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
Yes, my favourite word in the world is DYSPLA

Have you read, watched or seen anything good recently? Is there a book, play or film that changed your life?
There are many good books and films. Theatre changed my life, it gave me life. I fell in love with words and performance when I was 8, so I have always been drawn to watching and writing plays and reading poetry. I have only ever wanted to create, develop, and direct stories. In terms of recent watching and reading - I have just finished watching MAIDS - an American drama on Netflix, inspired by Stepanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive and am currently reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. I am particularly interested in consuming content that focuses on social, educational and economic justice.

Which 5 albums will you want to have with you on a desert island?
I would want the best of Eminem, The Fugees, Elvis Presley, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
My art tutor at Camberwell College of Arts told me to use my Dyslexia to make art. This advice changed my life.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?
I always wanted to be a story maker but my first job at 13 years old was a shampoo girl at my local hairdressers.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
I have been working for myself for the past 12 years, running DYSPLA with Kazimir Bielecki since 2013 and MSFT Management with other freelance talent agents since 2011.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?
I fundamentally believe that being neurodivergent is a creative advantage and with the right support and the right networks, neurodivergent people have the story making advantage. An example of this is DYSPLA and I want to grow the evidence of this via the new publication I have created called The Museum of the Neurodivergent Aesthetic.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
When I feel overwhelmed, I usually sleep. When I am unfocused, I try to read or write or go for a walk or a swim. I love using the alarm clock on my phone to keep me on track – I have an alarm set for almost everything from leaving the home on time, to getting ready for bed.

What makes you happy?
Lots of things; my home, my family, my writing, my coffee before work, listening to old records, long baths, getting my hair washed at my local salon.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
My daughter’s love.

Does your neurodiversity have an impact on the way you approach relationships?
Being an ND person is the impact. It forms the DNA within us. It is the reason we fail to maintain good relationships and the root of all our struggles with mental health and low self-esteem. If you are working class, it is also the reason you fail more than you succeed. The more we all learn about ND, both the negative sides as well as the positive associations, the more we can all help each other to reach our full potential.

Tell us something about your ND experience, that you think not many people will know, or understand?
Others, who are not ND themselves, may not understand how quickly I crash into a state of nothingness. Sometimes, I cannot move even if I want to.

If given the choice, right now, to start over again — to ND or not ND?
I can’t really answer that question. I wish things were easier, of course I do… I wish I could do simple things as easily as others… but what good is it to wish for another life when this one still is a working progress.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world. What would you say?
I still stand by the mantra that dyslexics are authentic story makers, so I would probably run a campaign calling for the creative industries to hire dyslexics…
“Dyslexics are better story makers, make them part of your office furniture so they have a seat at your table.”

Thank you for sharing your + Story with us Lennie, final question — where can people find out more about you. Do you have a website and social media pages?

I’m always looking to connect with others interested in creativity, disability, activism, and neurodiversity. Happy to connect via any of the links below:

Email: lennie at dyspla dot com
Twitter: @DYSPLA_Festival
Instagram: dyspla_festival
Facebook: DysplaFestival
Sign up via DYSPLA CHAT
Subscribe via Youtube

More on DYSPLA_chat: A monthly 1 hour informal group peer to peer zoom chat with DYSPLA, discussing Neurodivergent creative methodology, strategies, projects and inspiration. DYSPLA’s creative directors will be on call to chat with anyone who needs to. Meetings will be recorded and confidentiality stored for the prosperity of DYSPLA’s Neurodivergent Aesthetic research.

Categories
+Stories

Aquayemi-Claude Garnett Akinsanya (Claude)

Name: Aquayemi-Claude Garnett Akinsanya (Claude)
ND Type/s: Developmental Coordination Disorder DCD dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia , Autistic Spectrum (ASD), Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Epilepsy which is managed
What do you do: Student, author, campaigner, youth delegate, entrepreneur, keynote public speaker and philanthropist
Where do you live: London, England

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you start your day – do you have a morning routine. And what do you have for breakfast, do think a good diet is important?

I am a person who likes to have a routine. I can find it hard being out of a routine and as I have not been in formal education for 5 years, this is a challenge for me and I still find it hard at times.

How do you stay active?

By keeping my mind active, for example; reading, creative art, dance, swimming, horse riding and song writing.

What do you do to relax?

I meditate.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?

I believe in what I like to call ‘Signature Uniqueness’. It means that we are all unique and that our uniqueness is our signature.

Have you read, watched or seen anything good recently? Is there a book, play or film that changed your life?

I recently saw a film which I loved from the beginning to the end. It’s called Abominable

Which 5 albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?

Michael Jackson – Heal the World
Anne Marie – Therapy
James Brown – Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III
Nina Simone – The Very Best of Nina Simone
Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?

Be the best version of yourself – from my Mother

When you were young, what did you want to be when you were a grown-up? And what was your first Job?

To be a photographer and travel the world.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?

I am a student, author, youth delegate, campaigner, keynote public speaker, entrepreneur, singer songwriter and philanthropist. I am a campaigner for equality, inclusion, education, peace, justice, mental health and well-being. I created ‘Claudes SEN Law’, because of my own educational journey of being denied a SEN education. I want to help create an inclusive world for Neurodiverse people with hidden disabilities.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?

Yes, because we have the ability to think outside the box with innovation and creativity, coming up with ideas that were never considered before.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?

Meditation helps me and I also listen to music all day and all night long – sometimes I write songs or poems.

What makes you happy?

When I know what is happening in my life. And also music.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Writing my first book and getting it published.

Does your neurodiversity have an impact on the way you approach relationships?

No because I am all about focusing on myself right now. I need to love myself before I can love anyone else.

If given the choice, right now, to start over again – ND or not ND?

Without question I would not change a thing about who I am today. I love my ‘Signature Uniqueness’ abilities, identity and personality.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?

My message for the world would be: It is time for people to not hold back their hidden abilities and disabilities. We are all beautifully created with our ‘Signature Uniqueness’ and we all have abilities that can make us grow. My advice for life is to be bold, tell yourself, friends, families, and maybe even the world that you are beautiful and that you love your uniqueness because you have the ability change and to have confidence in yourself.

Final question – where can people find out more about you? Do you have a website and social media pages?

Instagram

Twitter.com

Facebook

Youtube

Categories
+Stories

Reannon Tapp. Hidden Capacities

Name: Reannon Tapp
ND Type/s: Dyslexia
What do you do: Founder of Hidden Capacities
Where do you live: East of England

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you start your day – do you have a morning routine –what do you have for breakfast, do you think a good diet is important?
I prefer waking up naturally in the morning rather than to an alarm – an abrupt start seems to take me a while to flow into, so anything that promotes a natural awakening always seems to get the best out of me. An ND mind has to endure a lot throughout the day, so, yes breakfast is an essential fuel. I would like to say that I’ve nailed a morning routine but that would be a lie. I go through periods of being ultra-conscious about breakfast, eating foods that are great for my brain performance and function, to food being the last thing on my agenda. This is something I need to work on as when I do have a decent breakfast routine, I notice such a difference.

How do you stay active?
I like to mix up what I do to stay active so that I don’t get bored. It is very important to me to not sacrifice my health or wellbeing for my work, or any other aspect of my life. Quads and skateboarding work well for me as they are easy things to do around a busy schedule, especially on days when my time management is poor. I like that I can do these things by myself, and get my introverted down-time needs met. Martial arts, breathwork, movement and dance have also featured a lot throughout my life.

What do you do to relax?
Music is probably my fastest route into relaxing. I also find that writing poetry, sitting under trees, photography, cooking, swimming in the sea, learning German, and connecting with family and friends all help me to relax. I’m also hoping to learn Transcendental Meditation, which might help me to relax more efficiently.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?
I believe in Hidden Capacities mantras, for example, ‘Be Y-our Extraordinary!’ This relates to how being our authentic ND selves and not masking who we really are can be a difficult journey to reach and sustain. What we choose to share and how we relate to our neurodiversity is unique and needs to be respected. It also refers to the hope that if more people own and feel proud of their true ND self, then more people will hopefully be influenced and a brighter future will be paved for us all.
Another Hidden Capacities mantra is ‘With you in neuro-coexistence’, this acknowledges that so much is changing for our beautiful and vast ND community right now. Attitudes, perceptions, and the language we use are all evolving. This phrase promotes the idea that we will only be able to give these changes real justice if we stand together.

Have you read anything good recently? Is there a book that changed life?
I recently listened to the works of Anita Moorjani – Sensitive Is the New Strong. I’m fascinated by the fact that the gifts of neurodiversity can also bring with them their own unique challenges in society. For example, one of my personal processing gifts is that I experience very high empathy levels. When you’re an empath, prioritising everyone else’s thoughts, feelings and needs over your own can run you down and pull you in too many different directions. Anita’s book has helped me to ensure that being empathetic to the needs of others is no longer at the expense of my own health and well-being.
I’m also fascinated by the works of Mick Collins, author of The Unselfish Spirit & A Visionary Spirit. Mick brings together knowledge from so many disciplines and cultures like a magpie and has this way of synthesising them, even if they are polarised perceptions. Mick challenges how we relate to mental health experiences as well as explore ways our humanity can transform beyond this period of collective chaos and uncertainty.

Which 5 albums will you want to have with you on a desert island?
My music taste is eclectic and committing myself feels difficult… so I have decided to spin this question creatively and cheat, linking artists to my top desert island moments instead.

RavenEye & Greta Van Fleet – for the arrival onto this imaginary island.
Nothing But Thieves & Laura Mvula – for those ‘dance like no one’s watching’ moments.
Alfred Nomad & Chloe Castro – for introverted pauses.
Twenty One Pilots & The Coathangers – for building the momentum to escape and build a raft.
Battle song to keep going – Barbara Dane – ‘I’m on my way’

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
The best piece of timely advice I can think of was written to me in a book when I had consciously decided to stop masking and share my neurodiversity. I was at a vey low point in my life and felt like a failure for not coping with the inaccessible systems and stigma I had come across. The book was Margaret Rookes’ Creative Successful Dyslexic, it contains a lot of collective encouragement but the words my mum had written in the front were ‘Never forget that you can do and achieve anything you want to! So proud of you.’ This encouragement may seem like a small gesture, but I really needed to hear it at the time. It inspired me to create Hidden Capacities, it helped me to keep evolving on my personal ND journey as well encourage me to surround myself with people that do care and embrace me for who I really am.

What do you do now and how did you get into it?
I founded Hidden Capacities, a start-up organisation which continues to evolve. This organisation was born out of both privilege and adversity. The privilege was that I was able to receive neurodiversity coaching from Genius Within as part of a job role. It was the first time I had ever come across a professional with so much specialist ND knowledge (both the difficulties and the gifts). The coach’s level of expertise meant that it felt safe to share my processing gifts and difficulties without fear of being misinterpreted or judged.

In terms of adversity, I have experienced prejudice, pseudo-diagnosis and stigma. I’ve worked with people who are neurodiverse for most of my life, so our collective struggles are something that weighs heavily on me but I’m also very optimistic that, with each passing day, change is coming.

Hidden Capacities wants to ignite people’s interest in what amazing organisations and projects are out there, we offer creative training workshops focused on the subtleties of neurodiversity that are often missed and also provide scholarship awards.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And, if yes, could you give an example?
Processing differently certainly gives a lot of people a natural creative edge, as they already think dynamically, non-linear, pragmatically or visually without even trying. The creative arts and cultural sectors have certainly been a natural sanctum for so many of us as they have valued our differences and contributions for some time. Stephen Wiltshire MBE, springs to my mind when I think about how a person’s ND gifts has inspired many.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?
I have lots, but these would be my top 6:

1)Transitioning from one environment to another during my working day can aid my concentration and focus tenfold. Since I’ve fully embraced that transitioning to different spaces is important to my well-being and productivity, I have generally achieved a lot more and feel less overwhelmed.
2)Alternating from a standing desk to a seating position when working is also incredibly important for my focus. Within the studio, there are lots of different positions set up so I can transition around the room.
3) I sometimes have to simplify my schedule. This can often make others feel rejected, but it’s purely to avoid everything becoming too much and preventing burnout.
4) Music. I would struggle to function without music in my life.
5) Get back to the basics, sometimes being non-linear in my thought processes means that basic needs such as hydration, sleep etc can get forgotten. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can usually track backwards and see where a basic need is out of sync.
6) Asking for help if/when I need it is something that I have become much better at. For example, my partner has very pragmatic thought processes so their natural way of thinking can be a massive benefit to me when I feel overwhelmed. I like how different styles of thought can complement one another.

What makes you happy?
My nephew, anything second-hand and with a story, fearless friends and family, honesty, food, rain, animals, laughter, autumn, water, genuine acts of kindness and freedom.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Re-learning to fully be myself based on actual abilities, and not by the definitions or expectations of others. Choosing to no longer mask my neurodivergence has at times been painful but also very liberating.

Does your neurodiversity have an impact on the way you approach relationships?
Yes 100%, I have a tendency to be naturally curious, which means I’m genuinely interested in people, and if you add high levels of empathy to this, it means I can strike up a rapport with others quite quickly. This doesn’t mean that everybody will like me, that certainly isn’t the case, but I find the combination of my ND gifts means I’m good at building genuine relationships with people. It can also have a detrimental impact too, for example, having high empathy can place you in this ‘Cinderella’ archetype with others which can be quite a damaging dynamic. Empaths CAN (not all) have a tendency to prioritise other people’s wants, needs and emotions over their own which can be a very toxic when you are around the wrong people.

Tell us something about your ND experience, that you think not many people will know, or understand?
I also experience Irlen syndrome (also known by many other names, visual stress etc…), the people in my life will be aware that I wear tinted glasses, have a tendency to change the colour of backgrounds and have a preference for increased text size as this stops headaches, fatigue, visual blurs of text and increases my reading speed. What they may not be aware of is that being sensitive to lights, means I also can be affected during my night time routine as much as it can affect me during the day. Discovering the use of an eye mask has massively improved the quality of my sleep.

If given the choice, right now, to start over again – to ND or not ND?
I definitely wouldn’t change this about myself. Sometimes it’s beyond frustrating to be ND, people don’t fully understand the struggles you go through on a daily basis. It can expose you to judgement and misinterpretation. It is statistically harder to survive within education, employment and we are sadly overrepresented within the criminal justice system. To not acknowledge the collective struggle that being ND can bring would be insincere and offensive, but, for me, my ND is my joy. It helps me to see beauty in so much around me, and I think it has helped me to remain positive within all the uncertainty that is going on around us.

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world > What would you say?
I love the idea that someone reading all of the ND positive ideas for this question may have the resources or the passion to make some of these ideas a reality one day. So here goes…
“The way the world sees neurodiversity is finally changing. Although all our neuro-differences are hidden, you are never truly alone, you are a part of a wide, dynamic and ever-growing community…”

Final question – where can people find out more about you. Do you have a website and social media pages.

@hidden.capacities – Instagram
@hidden.capacities – Facebook
@wondering_re – Instagram

www.hiddencapacities.org

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+Stories

André Nice

Name: André Nice
ND Type/s: Autism, ADHD
What do you do: Student
Where do you live: London

 

 

 

 

 

When was your diagnosis and do you know how/why it came about?

When I was 4. It came about because my mother recognised my autistic traits early on and for a while thought I was deaf, it took a lot of effort to get a diagnosis but in the end, I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD.

How do you stay active? And what do you do to relax?

I play golf occasionally and walk. I relax by doing something creative like writing or crafts, cooking as well.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?

Brumhilda, Paidagogos, intransigent.

Have you read, watched or listened to anything good recently (books, films, tv, radio or podcasts)? Maybe something that has helped you or changed your views/attitude?

I think this is a bit of a vague question, but I read a book by Robert Graves called Count Belisarius that was good. There hasn’t been anything attitude-changing lately.

Which 5 songs or albums would you want to have with you on a desert island?

In Utero-Nirvana
A Fever you can’t sweat out- Panic! at the disco
Hatful of Hollow- The Smiths
From Under the Cork Tree- Fallout Boy
Songs about Jane- Maroon 5

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?

Don’t punch walls, from my grandmother.

What would you like to do when you leave school/college/university? Have you had any work experience so far and how has that gone?

No work experience. Probably something meaningful like an MP.

In what ways has your neurodiversity affected you the most?

Human interaction, creativity, addictive personality, mental health, emotional deregulation, hyper-obsessions.

Creativity and thinking differently are often credited to neurodiversity. Would you say that is true? And if yes, could you give an example?

Yes. I’ve written books and plays, I’m extremely creative in most ways.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus, what do you do to get back on track? Do you have any hacks, tips or do you use any apps to keep you on track during the day?

I have no hacks, it’s a huge problem of mine. I usually do it at the last second with fear as my motivator.

Are you open about your neurodiversity, or do you try to conceal it?

I am open about it, but I don’t bring it up, I find it offensive when someone says, ‘oh I had no idea you were autistic’. It seems to imply that they assume autism should be more noticeable and that I’m somehow ‘one of the good cases’.

How does your neurodiversity affect new relationships? This can be professionally, socially or romantically.

Mixed. Professionally it is usually an advantage as I’m direct, but it can also lead to confIicts because I forget deadlines and am occasionally rude without wanting to be. Same is true for socialising, I’m very nervous with new people so my list of friends is limited. Romantically it’s mixed, it makes me very compassionate and direct with my feelings but can also mean I don’t take romantic hints and sometimes offend people. I’m also not good at interacting with people so something like chatting someone up is a nightmare.

What makes you happy?

Writing, socialising with people I know, beauty, being alone.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Writing a novel, passing my GCSEs, having predicted grades good enough to apply to Oxford University

Do you have a Positive ND message to the world? Imagine you have a £5 million advertising campaign to spend on billboards all over the world, what would you say?

It’s not your fault that you’re ND, it’s their fault that society doesn’t accommodate you.