Thoughts for neurodivergent folks in creative careers...
Especially those who feel overwhelmed/not sure where to start;
Overwhelm is not always sensory.
Or time and task related.
Sometimes… it’s a need for more CONTEXT.
Context you weren't aware you needed.
So you feel like you are supposed to know what to do.
That this is “basic”.
That you should be able to to start.
As energy-sensitive, systems thinking deep-divers, having enough context is a cognitive boon.
That EXTRA context is how we get a sense of the whole picture, and how all the parts relate, and what it will feel like to our senses, so we can dive in.
So we can organise the experience of it in ways that Make Sense™️ and give us agency.
When that need for more context is unconscious, we make our inability to begin our own fault.
We feel bad.
We freeze in inaction.
We distract ourselves with doom scrolling, or eating our feelings, or whatever your flavour of feeling-avoidance is.
When you make that need for context conscious, you can actively begin to create it;
asking ALL the questions
asking for help
practicing the sensory experience of the activity ahead of time
getting a mentor or coach
observing someone else’ doing it, up close
hearing them talk about it after they’ve done it
And... you can begin to realise that inner, felt possibility on the outside.
🪄
In my podcast episode 10, I compare two working environments I've experienced;
one in which there was TONS of context available,
and another in which context was actively withheld.
And the effects both had on my sense of self assurance, and the sense that I was in the right place, that I knew what to do, and that I could do well.
Having enough context can make all the difference - IF you are conscious of that need.
So consider your own goals and vocational hopes and secret dreams….
How can you create context for the thing that you want to do?
How can you identify where context is missing?
What questions do you have that you haven't admitted?
What are the decisions that you need to make?
How can you find someone who already has the results that you want?
How can you ask questions on The Dots that would help you create missing context?
For more on this - see my podcast episode 10
Replies5
- @Madeleine SutherlandSad indeed.100% - YES inclusivity means nothing without action X
- @Louisa Shaeri // SOLA I tend to work with Hanlon's Razor, but s I say, it was more the lack of response when I clarified that was the biggest red flag. Combined with phrases like 'trendy'- some people just don't want to learn. Whilst that's not ok, it's just a sad fact of life.I also think that my question might have been one with no clear set answer, other than that people often use phrases like 'inclusivity' as a flex, when often there's little in the way of translating into action.
- @Madeleine Sutherland sorry just saw this reply now!Ouch, that's not helpful at all.I find it helpful to assumt that this was a person who is more content to tell people who they are and what their experiences mean, then to enlarge their understanding and learn something. As humans we stick to what we think we know and it takes something extra to be motivated to do the internal work to re-think. In other words - it's about them, not you. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though!What was your original question? Let's see if we can get it answered.(I will delete liberally if ableism rears it's head again)<3
- @Madeleine Sutherland *foothold
- It's difficult. I asked a question on here about getting a foothole, and it felt like one of the answers was very dismissive. She wasn't very helpful. She told me that ADHD was 'trendy' (it's never *felt* 'trendy' to me, it feels like an anchor- I hoped that diagnosis would help me to be more understood). She pushed the idea of the meritocracy, and that failure is just due to being rubbish.I responded, trying to clarify, but she ignored this, so, after ruminating, I came to the conclusion that her response wasn't in good faith, so I deleted it. It's difficult to move forward when you're requests for help are weaponised. I thought that this space was supposed to be inclusive.I think that the biggest thing is UNDERSTANDING. We all make mistakes, everyone, even NT people are clumsy from time to time. I want people to assume good faith, unless shown otherwise. Often disability isn't recognised until someone experiences what it's like not to be able to do something.There are far too many people who rise up by pushing others down.
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