Which neurospice are you?

Sporty, Posh, Innate, Acquired. Plus, when publisher nonresponse isn’t rejection, and the man in Brazil who was trying to preserve my family tree.

I’m getting a little impatient with my recovery from burnout, but I continue to slowly unfurl. Since last summer, I spent almost every moment working or trying to find work. I tried several home based businesses, cleaned houses, pet sat, and continued to build pocket presses, draw and paint portraits, do graphic design and build websites when these jobs came. Work in LA is starting to return, so, I’m hopeful that this year will be calmer. I really appreciate your support for my work here. It boosts my confidence and it actually gives me the freedom to keep writing.

For the next few paid newsletters, I’ll share my essay, How to be Deaf about my experience as a “hearing impaired” kid and deaf/hard of hearing (d/hh) adult. The essay can probably take up 6 newsletters, but I will likely pause after 3 so we can return to housekeeping. I’m sure we’ll have some dusting to do.

Who’s ‘spicy?

I often think about the definition of neurodivergence. Typically, it only applies to wiring we’re born with, but, in this space it’s a broad term that covers a lot, from autism to dyslexia to giftedness and beyond. I think the definition should be broad because diagnosis is often dependent on the knowledge and perception of the individual experts we happen to encounter. Then there’s the fact that people with neurodivergence are more likely to experience trauma, and to have “acquired” neurodiversities like PTSD. This is why I believe it’s really difficult to accurately diagnose many neurodivergent folks, and why many of us (even those who identify as neurotypical) may be operating with different neurodiversities.