A year ago I visited my home town for a friend's wedding. I used the time there to attempt to reconnect with my mother whom I had estranged myself from (she is abusive but doesn't understand her abusive behaviour, her parents did the same thing to her and that is her excuse).

I didn't have the tools I have now. I understand what I was trying to attempt was futile for where I was at.

Whilst I was there I drew this. At the time it felt like a skull in some sort of gazebo but now I see it for what it was.

It was a cage and I was trapped.

The work I do, it's deconstructing that cage. What happens after that I am nervous about.

Yet I'm also excited, I don't know a world where I am uncaged. I don't know a world where I'm mentally free.

#ArtistsOfMastodon #GenerationalTrauma #ActuallyAutstic #ArtTherapy #rainbow #queer #skullart

1/4 Been trying to keep tabs on my #social interactions. My personal #EgressFilter is something I’ve been cognizant of for a long time. It’s part of my #masking, of course. But a certain amount of filtering is good and normal. Dialing it in can be challenging.

I had a miss on Friday. I was doing small talk in work cafe, waiting for my order. Small talk is always a challenge for me. We got on the topic of food safety and preparation.

#ActuallyAutstic @actuallyautistic

My wife says she can tell I've had 5 cups of coffee today. I've been excitedly talking about trees for the past half hour.

Gotta tone it down a bit. :coffee_mug: #actuallyautstic

Which of my #actuallyautstic followers love gardening and plants (either indoor or outdoor!)? Let’s see what you’re working on!

#AskingAutistics @actuallyautistic

There are few things more restorative in my life than a walk through the bush.

#relax #actuallyautstic #adhd #nature #walking

#AskingAutistics Know of any cool projects that we are working on to help each other? Like technologies or businesses or platforms or inventions for #ActuallyAutstic people (and by them)?

A small #ActuallyAutstic self-advocacy win around sensory sensitivity:

A partner of mine has a very loud whistle he sometimes uses to get everyone's attention - it's so loud that it usually causes me some physical pain. I realized last time I heard it that I would have to talk to him about it - he's the sort of person who typically would notice my pain and change his behavior, but he hadn't.

I went into the conversation prepared to negotiate, things about me wearing earplugs or him catching my eye when he's about to do it, but as soon as I said it caused me pain, he said "I'll stop, of course." I realized he hadn't seen how I would wince or shudder when he whistled, since in those moments was more focused on getting the attention of others.

I was so prepared for my pain to not matter, that I was stunned! But then again, he's a considerate person who loves me, so maybe it shouldn't shock me at all. Sometimes it's just surprising to be quite easily accommodated.

I used to assume *everyone* was shocked and startled and pained at sudden, loud noises and somehow chose to make them anyway. Now that I know sensory sensitivity is a *thing* that I deal with, I'm giving myself permission to experience the world in ways that are different to those around me - and to then self-advocate or change my own behavior where it helps.

@IzabelaKaramia I relate to this so much! I had one partner who used to get so angry with me for not introducing him to people we’d meet (who I clearly knew/they knew me). But very very often, I could not remember who they were or - if I had a recollection of their face, I couldn’t associate a name. #ActuallyAutstic

Hi, I'm Zeta!

✴ Adult (19)
☀︎ :nonbinary_flag: :ace: :bi_heart:
☀︎ Artist (or at least tries to be)
☀︎ #actuallyautstic
☀︎ I have no idea what's going on
#introduction

Hi, I'm Zeta!

✴ Adult (19)
☀︎ :nonbinary_flag: :ace: :bi_heart:
☀︎ Artist (or at least tries to be)
☀︎ #actuallyautstic
☀︎ I have no idea what's going on

As a parent of an autistic adult son, I am interested to know how many autistic adults are employed.
Please boost for a better outcome.
#autistic
#autism
#actuallyautstic
#neurodiverse