neurodivergence
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My Creative Writing Degree Drove Me Away from the Craft. 10 Years Later, A Glimmer of Recovery
As a teenager, I knew I was going to be a writer. I had it all figured out, and to kickstart this process, I was definitely going to college for creative writing. The college part happened, at least. But like a wish granted by a monkey’s paw, it wasn’t what I expected. My advice to…
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Who Died and Made You the Legitimacy Police? (A Critique of Diagnostic Gatekeeping)
The other day, I was bumbling around on YouTube and found a (then very recent) video from the I’m Autistic, Now What? channel titled “You’re Not Autistic, You’re Just Privileged.” It was, essentially, a response to two TikToks that were critical of self-diagnosing or people using social media to explore the possibility they might be…
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For New Year’s 2024, I’m Giving Up. And It’s a Good Thing.
I’m trying something new for 2024: giving up. I won’t be making traditional goals this year. Not because I’m defeated, but rather because I’m seeking freedom. For me, 2024 is going to be the year of the anti-resolution, and I’m here for it. I like goals. Writing them out feels good. Planning out how to…
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Everyday I’m Struggling: Burnout Culture and the Neurodivergent Injury of Traditional Work
Work is killing my soul. I know, I know—dramatic, right? But I’m being real: the traditional 8-to-5 is a constant source of unhappiness for me, and I’m tired of pretending it’s not. Quite frankly, it seems like a total scam, this reality of dedicating the next 30 to 40 years of my best daylight hours…
The Multitasking Millennial 