#neurodivergent and also a miner

[not-poignant]

Omg please drop some of your fave 00s Midwestern emo

Absolutely!

So first thing I should say is that I love a lot of emo, not just 00s Midwest. And most of the musicians I loved then, I still follow to some capacity now (it's also how I found musicians like Manchester Orchestra long before they went viral.

For specifically Midwest era, it'd have to be:

The Get Up Kids (I would die for Matt Pryor, his prolificness and songwriting is incredible. He's also The New Amsterdams, and writes as Matt Pryor, he also did children's albums as The Terrible Twos and now has a punk band I always forget the name of). For people new to TGUK, would highly recommend Red Letter Day, and I'll Catch You

There's also Jets To Brazil, mewithoutYou, Sunny Day Real Estate, Spanish Love Songs (folks who listen to my playlists might recognise the song Brave Faces Everyone, which I'm also using as an upcoming chapter title). I've seen The Shins listed as Midwest emo and I enjoy them but I don't think they fit the genre, lol. There's also Mineral, Rainer Maria, Modest Mouse etc.

In terms of more broadly, the emo artists I've love/d are like Brand New (controversial these days, I know), Taking Back Sunday, Acceptance, The Academy Is..., Panic! at the Disco (they've strayed from their roots but I still like em), Say Anything, Matchbook Romance, Dashboard Confessional, The Early November, All Time Low (do an amazing cover of Umbrella), Fall Out Boy, The Format (not really emo but they were in this crowd), Jimmy Eat World, JamisonParker, Death Cab for Cutie, Alexisonfire! (Screamo), Anberlin, Hellogoodbye, and probably a bunch of others I'm missing!

I've been to see Dashboard Confessional and Brand New live (the latter was the first band I ever flew to another state to see, because they weren't going to come to Perth), and I've intended to see Taking Back Sunday twice but both times was too sick to go.

I live with a music journalist, and we're both very interested in all kinds of music, usually with different projects going on at the same time. Currently he's trying to get through all the top albums by year since albums existed (he's now in the early 90s), curating a playlist of '100 top songs per year' series of playlists. I'm doing my Colourways project this year, which is creating playlists of 30 unique songs each that match some of the top selected colours of the year. (I'm currently listening to Kenepuru Sound in that collection).

Last year were both actively tried to listen outside of our music spaces, so Glen targeted a lot of foreign countries, and I specifically lasered in on Indonesia, because that suited some worldbuilding I was doing. Consequently made a giant Indonesian-songs playlist, and fell in love with Padi. Everyone should. (Go listen to Semua Tak Sama, especially if you love Radiohead). I also focused on listening to a lot of Indigenous Australian music, which led me to Alf the Great, who made the song Running that I added to a few playlists. He's Kalkadungu/Bidjara.

The year before that I was followed on playlist curation, etc. We're both a bit neurodivergent about our music habits, except that Glen can't listen to the same song over and over again, and I can to his dismay, so I have to be careful how I do it (and normally not when he's home).

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

I have a couple questions. First, I have a story in mind about four neurodivergent queer teenagers facing their struggles and other conflict (it's very anime inspired and also inspired by Deltarune). 2 kids are autistic and the other 2 have ADHD, although I'm thinking about one of the kids with ADHD is also autistic. One of the characters also has PTSD. I'm mainly wondering if you have any sources about writing neurodivergent characters and writing about PTSD.

Secondly, your blog really helped me learned about autism and ADHD and made more convinced that I'm most likely autistic and that my parents yelled at in past (and present) because of my autistic traits. Do you have any good sources for parents (as well as me) to learn more about autism so that they won't have a stereotypical idea of what autism is like anymore and to convince them to get me diagnosed (since I'm a minor)

Thirdly, I have a question if struggling learning grammar of your mother language can related to autism? Because I kinda suck at grammar and when I try to learn grammar rules I don't really actually learn. ( I guess that my teachers in elementary in school didn't know how to teach). I also really want to write my story and possibly get it published eventually.

Lastly, in your profile it says that you like rocks and fossils, so what's your favorite rock/mineral? Because I also like rocks and fossils.

Hi there,

Question 1:

I think the concept of your story is very interesting (even if I haven’t played Deltarune). And when it comes to PTSD, it can affect both autism and ADHD. Neurodivergent Insights has some great Venn diagrams showing the similarities and differences between the two:

If you want, you can add some of your own traits or your friend’s to the characters, which might help some.

Question 2:

This is difficult to answer, as I don’t know you personally and haven’t seen your home life. But I have found some sources that could possibly help:

I found this Reddit post from r/autism that has some tips that could help too:

Hopefully these can help.

Question 3:

Since people learn things at vastly different rates, some may be very good with grammar and English (it was my favorite subject and I got an associate degree in it). While others may struggle. In one study I read, it said:

The first studies on grammar and autism, published in the early 1980s, suggested that syntax isn’t a particularly big problem for children with the disorder. This work found that children with autism learn grammar in the same way that typical children do, but at a slower rate, in line with their overall developmental delay.

Since then, a couple of studies have suggested the linguistic picture is much more nuanced. For example, one study showed that children with autism don’t use correct verb tenses. Another found that they produce less complex sentences than do typical children or those with developmental delays

The full article will be below:

In one other article I found, it stated:

Linguistic and cognitive abilities manifest huge heterogeneity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some children present with commensurate language and cognitive abilities, while others show more variable patterns of development. Using spontaneous language samples, we investigate the presence and extent of grammatical language impairment in a heterogeneous sample of children with ASD. Findings from our sample suggest that children with ASD can be categorized into three meaningful subgroups: those with normal language, those with marked difficulty in grammatical production but relatively intact vocabulary, and those with more globally low language abilities. These findings support the use of sensitive assessment measures to evaluate language in autism, as well as the utility of within-disorder comparisons, in order to comprehensively define the various cognitive and linguistic phenotypes in this heterogeneous disorder.

The full article will be below if you’d like to read it too:

Question 4:

I have lots of rocks that I think are pretty cool. One of my favorite minerals is bismuth due to its cool properties. My favorite rock type is igneous because it’s a rock from a volcano/molten rock and it has its own properties too.

Anyway, I hope those answer your questions. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ♥️

[doublefantasyqueer]

heyhey who wants to read a book with a canon zoo character written by a zoo? (albeit very subtle representation)

also featuring: gay love, autistic protagonist, love interest has BPD and a drug addiction, everyone is queer & neurodivergent

you're in luck because the novel I spoke about a few blogs back has been published! it's about Alexander, a miner on the 1855 Australian Ballarat goldfields, who falls in love with another guy (Josh) from 2023 who accidentally time-travelled and is stuck in the midst of withdrawals. internalised homophobia and mental health issues make their relationship difficult. things get even more complicated when Alexander accidentally time-travels, alone, to 2022 and finds a Josh who's never met him before

get it here (link), or look it up on your amazon marketplace. I made it the cheapest I was allowed to

here's my lovely zoo character (Ecko) with the rat they have a crush on

[branches-in-a-flood]

27-33? 😁 ✨

27. any nicknames?

Nope, Flood is my legal name. /j

Uh, actually not very many apart from like, internet usernames. There are two main riffs on my government name that people have used, but no one does anymore. 

28. do you collect anything?

Yes! I collect skulls! And also pelts, fossils, crystals, and apparently plushies (bison, wolves, and bats, which have all been weirdly accidental.)

The skull collection is currently somewhere upward of 20, but not everything is displayed because I suck at decorating, and have a somewhat chaotic home. 

Pelts, I have numerous cowhides and reindeer as floor coverings, goat skins and a Thompson's gazelle as table cloths, a truly innumerable collection of rabbit hides for decor, crafting, and lining collars, as well as a coyote, fox, and lynx for Renn Faire/cosplay use. This reminds me I have a raw coyote hide in the freezer I've been meaning to throw out for at least a year. 

The fossils, crystals, and minerals are strewn about the house and also still in boxes. See the "I suck at decorating" explanation. 

EDIT: I forgot the dog collars too. The black dog has over 25 custom ones because I Have Problems.

29. what do you do when you’re sad?

How sad? Ranges from coloring to napping to self harm to drinking on my meds. 

30. what’s one thing that never fails to make you happy/happier?

I'm not trying to be edgy or anything here but there's nothing that never fails. Such is the nature of depression and neurodivergence I suppose. I can typically count on the small cat climbing into my chest making me feel content, but there are overstimulation issues. Hiking or just generally being in the wilderness typically works wonders, but we saw how today went 🥲

31. are you messy or organised?

No one has ever accused me of being organized. 

32. how many tabs do you have open right now?

Three! 

33. any hobbies?

:heavy sigh: Yes? No? I've been battling the mental illness for a long time now and my hobbies have mostly died in that pursuit. I think the closest I actively do would be training and trialing the black dog. 

(I used to sketch and paint, rock climb, train horses, keep plants/container garden, and intermittently wrote short stories and poetry in earlier years)

[venus-haze]

Battie’s 1-year celebration🔮

July is a year since I started posting fics on here, and I want to spend the month celebrating! Thank y’all so much for your support and kind words over the past year, it means a lot to me🖤

I’m reopening headcanon requests and (limited) fic requests! This will last until either the end of the month or I start feeling overwhelmed lol🫠

Fandoms and guidelines below the cut! Please read carefully before requesting.

Fandoms:

Slashers

Baby Firefly

Bo Sinclair

Candyman/Daniel Robitaille

Chop Top Sawyer

Father Paul Hill

Harry Warden/The Miner

Mickey Altieri!Ghostface

Otis Driftwood

Severen Van Sickle

SPM2!Driller Killer

Thomas Hewitt

Vincent Sinclair

The Boys

Billy Butcher

Black Noir

Homelander

Mother’s Milk

Queen Maeve

Soldier Boy

Starlight

Guidelines:

Only request one character and concept at a time.

Please try to be specific with your request. If your request is too vague, I'll probably ask for more details.

Don’t send your request multiple times. If you’re concerned I haven't received your request, send an ask first.

I will write (this isn’t an exhaustive list, feel free to ask about something that’s not here if you wanna check!)

Yandere

Noncon/dubcon

AUs (depending on the concept)

Generally dark content

NSFW/explicit content

Fluff or angst - I’m going to be really selective because I don’t like watering down fucked up characters 

Plus size reader - I’d prefer not to write about overly insecure plus size readers, just a personal thing

Major character or reader death

Mommy/daddy kink

Breeding kink

F/F pairings

I won’t write (for various reasons, please don’t ask me to elaborate if I haven't):

Incest

Pregnancy or parenthood, unless the character already canonically has child 

Polyamory - I'm not poly, and it's not something I'm personally interested in writing about

Underage/age regression/age play

Piss kink/scat

ABO

Overly specific or descriptive readers - I'm more interested in writing for specific situations

❌ “[Character] reacting to a reader who dresses in coquette/goth/dark academia aesthetic.”

❌ “[Character] with a bimbo reader” 

❌ “[Character] with a reader who’s shorter than them”

Specific mental illnesses or neurodivergency

Original characters (OCs) x canon characters

I'll add onto this as needed! I also may reject requests I don't click with or feel like I'd be able to do well.

I'm willing to try writing M/M pairings (x reader or canon characters), but if I feel like I can't, I'll try redirecting you to another blog with requests open!

[zipstick]

(running out of a cave pursued by zombies and skeletons) oh my god this is literally so disrespectful dont you know im neurodivergent and also a miner

[ed-recovery-affirmations]

Yume is so done with pica! She doesn't feel like eating anything but wax and dry pasta, she doesnt want "real food". Everyone around her thinks shes weird for it. She can tell they see Yume as childish or stupid. She hates how it scares other people away. Yume just want to be able to act like a normal person. It's harming her health too. But she can't stop. Real food isn't a good enough alternative.

-Yume

Hi Yume! I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this, and that you're not getting more helpful support. I know that it can be tempting to wish you could do things the normal way, but it's okay to do things in a not-normal way if that's what helps you function.

For example, I am wondering if you might try experimenting with different cereals/granola textures? You could put them on a plate and pick at them to replicate the sense of eating something crunchy without having to eat non-food items. Same thing with breads: could you toast them enough to make them crunchy, then pick at them?

For your micronutrients, might you be able to blend fruits into smoothies? This also might take some experimenting, but you might find it easier to drink your nutrients rather than eating them.

Stim toys like chewies for neurodivergent people might help you safely get your "bite needs" filled when you're struck by the urge to put non-food items in your mouth.

And finally, have you been able to get to the doctor? Most research seems to indicate that some degree of vitamin/mineral deficiency is the root cause of PICA. It would probably be helpful for you to identify what you're missing and take vitamins/supplements to help you stay healthy. If you're not getting nutrients, your PICA is likely to get worse. An experienced doctor might be able to help guide you through a treatment plan as well.

I'm sorry, I don't know very much about PICA so I don't know what else I can do to help, but I can tell you that finding a way to function that works for you is much better than trying too hard to do everything the "normal" way.

[bookstagramofmine]

The Book of Conjurations by Irizelma Robles

Description:

The Book of Conjurations, Irizelma Robles’s fourth poetry collection, transforms poet, reader and language through its conjurations. Among these pages, we find all forms of material existence transmuted. Barbwire, rain, soul, sugarcane, scream are all raw materials for alchemy, or poetry.

Drawing from the periodic table, precious and semi-precious stones, minerals, rocks, the elements, flora and fauna from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Latin America, and her memories, Robles creates an alternate cosmogony that neither rejects nor unquestioningly accepts Western medical discourse, nor offers up one of many parallel traditions and bodies of knowledge. These poems are written to conjure another life out of this one, a way forward despite and with the poet’s neurodivergence, sadness, depression, and anxiety. Irizelma imagines herself as the poet-alchemist in order to conjure another self in that poetic voice, one that not only survived these hospitalizations, but that found metaphor, imagen, and poetic figure in the basest of elements. It is also a voice that found gold to be as useless as it was for all who sought it, a tool of power that ultimately became dead weight in her search for a way out.

Review:

Thank you NetGalley and Sundial House for the chance to read and review this book.

On the one hand, The Book of Conjurations is certainly interesting. It's not often that you can see metals used in poetry like this. However, I wonder if the translation is missing something? After a while, the poetry starts to blur together, even when certain pieces are very good.

[christianwolfganglindner]

skincare tips from a neurodivergent person with acne who doesn't like consumerism and doesn't have a lot of money or spoons, with explanations:

i found that there is little to no content about taking care of your skin that doesn't promote buying wild amounts of pricy products for the ✨ aesthetic ✨, following 10 step routines that are highly unrealistic for nd ppl or those who work full-time, and using unnecessary amounts of plastic and harsh stuff on your face so i thought i'd share what i figured has helped me so far <3

sunscreen - i know this one's a classic but it actually helped so much with my acne. idk why but uv rays apparently take a huge toll on my skin and make me break out a lot more than when i use sunscreen (might be sun allergy but this works on non-allergic skin too!). if aging is something you're concerned about this also definitely is the best prevention of wrinkles and stuff, but really it just makes sense to use one every day to prevent skin damage, overpigmentation, sunburn and skin cancer, not just because of looks! (especially if you live somewhere sunny.) i use an spf 50 spray from my local drugstore, i found that spray spf has a much more tolerable texture for me than the thick oily ones. most importantly you just need to wash it off at the end of the day (not that i'd follow through with that every day but as long as it's regular you're fine). i've tried both mineral and chemical sunscreens, i personally prefer chemical ones because they don't leave a whitecast and aren't as drying, but for others with really sensitive skin mineral might be better because it doesn't actually absorb into the skin but repels uv rays by reflecting them. just make sure you get spf 30 or higher!! mine is about 5-10€ per bottle and usually lasts me about two to three months. there are a lot fancier ones that are hyped right now but really as long as it has modern uv filters and doesn't contain octocrylene, oxybenzone or alcohol i found it doesn't matter which one you pick.

cleanser - i also don't consequently do this every day (none of the things on this list actually but hey) and of course it doesn't solve the whole problem, but washing my face has helped me a lot to at least reduce the amount of breakouts i get. my skin doesn't like many cleansers, now i mainly just use a drugstore brand water-based gentle cleanser that is pH neutral to skin. as far as i know the only important thing is really just that it's gentle, meaning no alcohol/parabens/perfume etc (those are a bad idea in skincare in general). after i wear makeup i also use an oil cleanser or micellar water or something like that bc that gets rid of any waterproof stuff i use (which i do a lot ngl). apparently you're supposed to always use both but i just can't be bothered when i'm not wearing makeup and so far my skin doesn't hate me for it. i spend 3€ on mine and like 2€ on the makeup remover one that both last me for like half a year (longer if i wear less makeup during that time obviously).

peeling - if you don't have acne or other skin concerns you might as well skip this, but for me, this has really helped with reducing my acne and having a more bouncy glowy type of skin generally. i sometimes use an AHA/PHA acid peeling cleanser or a salicylic acid peeling solution after my dermatologist recommended it (the important word here is OR, i've learned the hard way that using both together is a horrible idea) and they work great. what's important is that you realllllly should use sunscreen the day after because they do make your skin a lot more sensitive and you should also only use it a couple times a week so your skin has time to regenerate. it's also better to stay away from mechanical peels that have like the little beads in them. they tend to cause a lot of small injuries on your face and don't really peel evenly (also most of them use microplastics for the beads that get into the environment when you wash it off). these are more expensive in my experience, mine is 9€ but i haven't found any that work the same for less, but that's really just me! i have had mine for over half a year now and i'm a little more than half done with it so it will probably last me a year (mostly because i don't use it every day).

moisturizer - probably self-explanatory, most ppl need something to keep their skin moisturized, even if you have oily skin (because oily skin usually is just a sign of dehydration/a damaged skin barrier that your body tries to compensate for by producing more sebum). this one is especially important to me during winter. really doesn't need to be anything fancy and i'd personally recommend getting one that has a lot of glycerin instead of hyaluronic acid or other fancy stuff. hyaluronic acid is a beloved child of skincare marketing but most products that contain it really don't do much. one, simply because the formula that is used for it in industrial production is Not That Good and two, in itself, hyaluronic acid usually is way too big of a molecule to actually penetrate the skin far enough to do shit. you can use a liquid or cream type moisturizer, or try both if you have dry ass patches like me, i personally like the liquid one more because of texture again. i usually spend 8€ on my liquid and creamy one together and they last me for fucking ever (think i'm actually still on my first ones from like, one and a half years ago because i use them interchangeably so that checks out).

barrier protection - this kinda goes hand in hand with moisturizer, but i like to use a richer product along my moisturizer bc it's not nourishing enough on its own for me and i haven't found a better one yet, but you can totally combine the two if you can. what my doctor said is important is that it contains some type of ceramide complex, ceramides are naturally occuring in the skin barrier and when you have a depleted/damaged barrier like me, breakouts and scarring and irritation happens, so this really calmed my skin down a lot! my cream is about 4-6€ depending on where i buy it from but lasts me three or four months usually.

zinc/panthenol - this might be a niche one but i've read online that zinc or panthenol paste that you use for healing wounds or getting rid of scars can help with acne and for me, it actually helps with acute patches. i just put a little bit on any wounds or zits i have before bed and usually the next day they are a lot smaller or even gone completely. might be worth a try and you can also use it on cuts or other scabs of course. these usually go for about 5€ per tube, i just get them from the bandaids and first-aid supply section from my drugstore.

all of this boils down to around 30€ for about half a year, making it around 5€ per month (that's a little less than 5 dollars or pounds). in the beginning it might get more expensive because trying out different stuff and finding what products work for my skin was a whole process of itself, but now that i've settled on these few things i rarely ever have to buy new ones, just when one of my go-tos runs out.

how to use - a good rule of thumb is to keep it as simple as possible and when using, to go from lightest to heaviest so a heavy cream doesn't "block out" your light moisturizer or something. in the morning, i just wash with water to wake myself up and put on sunscreen, sometimes i'll moisturize before that as well, but only if i'm seriously in the mood bc my sunscreen usually feels hydrating enough and i don't have much time before heading out anyway. often times i'll also just really not have the spoons for any of this and might have to choose between brushing my teeth and doing my skincare, so i also don't do this super regularly. in my experience, just trying to keep at it as good as possible is the best i can do and it has helped me more than doing nothing. in the evening, i'll usually remove my makeup if i'm wearing any and start by washing with a cleanser, then using a peel like once or twice a week afterwards, and then finish by moisturizing and putting on cream. that makes 3 or 4 steps total, but often when i'm tired i just bring it to 2 by only cleansing and putting on cream. i know for ppl with really severe acne or other illnesses that that might not be enough, and it definitely wasn't for me either at first when i started taking care of my skin and my face was covered in acne completely, but i've gradually worked my way up to this.

of course there are a lot of other products as well and a lot of other active ingredients like vitamin c or retinol or different acids but these are my personal basics/staples (i'm also fairly young and wouldn't consider my acne super heavy). i have found that keeping it simple usually works better in the long run. a lot of fancy products are mostly marketing and just irritating because of unnecessary scenting, sulfates or whatever. your skin is very much able to take care of itself most of the time, my personal ambition with skincare products is not to do my body's job myself but to just help its healing and balancing process.

hope this was somehow helpful <3

[aidenlove]

"I'd love to have hobbies but I'm too broke"

"Yeah sounds fun, if you have that kind of money"

"Lol out of touch. Like people just have the money for craft supplies laying around"

My loves. My beautiful humans of all varieties. I am kissing you on the forehead so gently and begging you

Do. It. Poor.

Humanity has existed for around three hundred thousand years. Money as we know it has existed for about five thousand of those years. Humans have been doing stuff without money for most of our history as a species.

Find out what resources are available in your area and get your hands on some and create something with them.

This can include things like "buy nothing" groups and construction rubbish and lengths of carpet in the dumpster behind the local flooring place. Free pallets and broken tiles and scrap fabric on marketplace and craigslist.

It can also include natural clay deposits you teach yourself to refine for pottery, and plants that can be turned into fibers and spun and woven, and minerals and husks and berries and roots and a thousand other things that can be used to make natural dyes.

I have made paper from the wood of a neighbor's tree that they had to cut down. I collected a good bit of it for my mom to do woodturning with as well and she made wooden cooking spoons and spatulas, and wooden hair pins, and pens, and some chairs.

I have knit bags made from yarn I spun from local cottonwood fluff I collected off the ground.

I have dyed paper and fabric and soaps and wood and hair using dyes made from local plants and kitchen scraps and mineral pigments I collected and ground and mixed myself. I have made my own paints and inks and paintbrushes and canvasses as well.

I have made beautiful mosaic topped side/end/coffee/bedside tables with broken tile bits and scrap wood or sometimes scrap metal.

I taught myself how to make butter and jams and bread and jerky and a plethora of other things from scratch through mostly trial and error and bothering people's grandmothers

I taught myself how to make fishooks from a variety of materials

I've made cat trees from carpet scraps and junk wood, and cat toys from feathers and fabric scraps and sticks and string (I did sterilize the feathers to avoid illness and mites and such)

I have made soap from scratch using table scraps and lye I extracted from wood ash. I have similarly made lotions, salves, balms, and tinctures from scratch from collected materials. I have made candles from both tallow and beeswax acquired for free or very low cost, acquired from local apiaries and butchers.

I have made clothes for myself and others, as well as shawls, bags, scarves, quilts and whole host of other things from free sheets, blankets, clothes, and other "trash" fabric people were either giving or throwing away because of holes or rips or stains.

I taught myself leatherworking to make bracelets and bag straps and sandals and fetish gear from scrap bits of leather, usually sourced from ripped or otherwise damaged leather jackets that were being thrown out.

I taught myself to weave wreaths cause we have pine trees here and what the fuck do you mean eighty dollars for some pine boughs and ribbon???

I spent 6 months travelling without purchasing a single night in a hotel room or purchasing a single travel ticket of any kind, picking up odd jobs and selling things I crafted from materials found along the way and ride sharing and camping (yes there was an element of danger there, but travel is always dangerous. Being alive is dangerous. Being a fat neurodivergent disabled queer afab poor person is hella dangerous. I refuse to spend my precious life isolated and afraid)

Sand paintings can be done with pine resin, natural dyes, and sand.

Makeup can be made entirely from things you can find around you in most parts of the world.

Felting can be done with pet hair.

Carving

Whittling

Cooking

Metalworking/blacksmithing

Hunting and trapping

A canoe can be made from...a tree

Please, please look at the world you are part of and realize *it will not charge you money for joy*

Look at how the native peoples of your area did the thing you want to do. Look at how other cultures have historically accomplished that thing. Pretend civilization has fallen and there isn't anyone to pay for materials and supplies. Pretend plastic doesn't exist. You are so much freer than you realize. Do it poor. Live your life. Your desire is the only permission you need in order to create, in order to have hobbies (Victor Frankenstein and Hannibal Lector I am not talking to you).

And for those of you worried about whether this applies to you, I am both poor and heavily disabled. I cannot stand or walk for longer than ten or fifteen minutes. I cannot lift more than ten pounds without *fracturing my spine*. My glasses give people migraines. I am AuDHD. You learn to work around your limitations, and accomodate yourself. I learned how to make myself a folding stool with 3 decent sized branches and some strips of leather or canvass. It is lightweight but holds all my medically obese self without issue. I put a strap on that sucker and now I have place to sit whenever I need, even if it's every few steps. I'm not on anyone else's timeframe when I am doing this stuff, I'll sit when I please for as long as I need. I learned how to make a travois for dragging stuff I can't safely lift. I got a cheap immersion blender because my shoulders can't handle the level of stirring required for soap making and several other things. I do almost everything, including furniture making, sitting down, often in my wheelchair (which I got for free and made a seat for cause it didn't have one and I couldn't afford an intact, functional wheelchair). These things can be adjusted for disability, for neurotype, for location (including inner city), for limited available time (I was working 3 jobs and raising toddlers for a good portion of this time, before I became too disabled to work). Human creativity is near limitless. Use it!

If you don't know where to start or how to find the info you need or how to accomplish your hobby for free or low cost, ask! Ask me, ask other crafty people, ask people with an interest in anthropology, ask local groups of indigenous artisans, ask the internet. Don't expect folks to construct a detailed, start to finish set of instructions for you, but they can usually point you in the right direction in terms of finding the knowledge you need, or to get you past a point you're stuck at (an affectionately exasperated older lady once emailed back with just "you didn't add vinegar to fix the dye did you?" I....had not). Not every craft or hobby will be able to done low cost (I do not know how to make a telescope sorry) but many can, more than most people think.

Capitalism is a cage for the human spirit. Slip the bars baby.

[quinseparable]

Dammit, between that last post about "sustainable harvesting" and my friend making a post about white sage, I am all fired up (in agreement with both just so we're clear) about a variety of things in the pagan/new age/spirituality movement that are so damn problematic.

And, for complete and total transparency, I am white AS FUCK. Like completely (a quarter German, a quarter French, and then the rest scattered throughout Wales/Europe/and other Nordic ethnicities)

So obviously I cannot speak on behalf of any community other than my own. That said, I listen to what these other communities do say and try to make sure I do everything possible to not appropriate. I am also non-binary/lesbian/queer. I am also neurodivergent. There are so many things in modern witchcraft/spiritualism/etc that also conflict with those identities of mine.

So, let's just go down the fucking list (in no particular order):

1.) There are over 900 species of Sage. Stop buying White Sage. Stop using it. There are literally hundreds of other varieties that are probably native to your area. White California White Sage is NOT listed as endangered let's be completely clear on that, but Indigenous groups are still concerned about the overharvesting due to the increase in new age spirituality. You have fucking Walmart and Amazon selling "smudging kits" with White Sage bundles in them. And let's be real, we know that these places do not fucking care about "ethical harvesting" or about purchasing directly from Indigenous folks who cultivate it with care. In fact I just saw that in 2018 4 people were arrested for harvesting White Sage illegally. At first you might shrug your shoulders...'eh it's just 4 people'. No. It was 400 lbs of white sage. This site/article here had some good info about white sage as well.

It's been my experience that working with plant life local to your area is going to be FAR more affective then buying something from across the country. For instance, Juniper is so super common here. And you know what? It cleanses my space amazingly. No need for White Sage. Why use a plant or a crystal or a mineral that you have absolutely no connection with? How is that going to help you?

2.) And speaking of 'Smudging'...unless you are Indigenous, what you are probably doing is "smoke cleansing". Y'all those terms aren't interchangeable. Smudging is a sacred, closed practice of various different Indigenous tribes - one of which is the Anishinaabe peoples whom I live in close proximity with. In fact, my best friend is Indigenous. Many of his family members are also friends of mine. Now while my friend doesn't actively participate in his Indigenous culture, some of his family do and we've spoken here and there about this exact thing.

Not only is Smudging not the same as just smoke cleansing, and the overharvesting of white sage making many indigenous folks worried about the plant becoming extinct, you have to remember, it was illegal for many Indigenous folks in the USA to participate in the culture and sacred practices until 1978 when Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. They were not allowed to participate in their cultural beliefs and faith and spirituality until just 10 years before I was fucking born. I'm only 36. LET THAT SINK IN. Then like 20 years later here comes a bunch of white people who then try to immediately 'participate' and take over this practice. It's fucking gross.

This is coming from me, who lives smack dab in between Harbor Springs and Petoskey, Michigan...the home to one of the last Boarding Schools to close in the USA. This is Holy Childhood (which actually may be the last to close in the US)- the fucking boarding school I live less than 6 miles away from. There are still human remains under the FUCKING ROAD that passes in front of that building the Catholic Church still owns. (And it was confirmed in 1997 there were bodies found on the property - but they didn't extensively search and many in the tribe believe there are bodies underneath Main Street in Harbor Springs - and I am more likely to side with them then the fucking Catholic community who wants to pretend this was all so long ago).

You want to know when Holy Childhood was finally closed? Fucking 1983 - only 5 years before I was fucking born. (Though some folks that have spoken about the horrors they faced there say they attended as long as 1986.) And yes, there have been a few survivors of these native boarding schools who are willing to speak on their experiences there. Let me tell you, hearing from these survivors, in person, about the horrors that they dealt with - with the forced assimilation and inability to use their language and participate in their customs - has brought me to tears ever fucking time.

And I didn't learn about this at all until I went to work at the DV Shelter I now work at. And to reiterate - I ONLY LIVE 6 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE THE SCHOOL WAS (it's since been torn down I do believe)

One of our local news stations did a 2 part investigation into the history of Holy Childhood (which you can see here ) which is so swept under the rug that the DV/SA organization (we partner with the local tribe often to share resources) has actually included it into their training so we can be more well informed when working with Indigenous survivors in our area.

(Sorry for the length of that point, this is a topic I am very passionate about and also have quite a bit of knowledge behind me)

3.) Hoodoo is a close practices (as is Voodoo but I know even less about that spirituality so I won't speak much on it. Just that Hoodoo and Voodoo are not interchangeable and that they are 2 separate practices). Now, I am not going to speak on this at length because, again, I'm white as fuck but also because I don't have the history and knowledge to really even speak on it. But I will say it is closed - it is not something that someone with my complexation really should be messing with anyway because, y'know, it was created within the enslaved, black populations in the US. But I will say that both Voodoo and Hoodoo have both been demonized by white folks, Christians especially, that many had to practice their faith and beliefs in secret - much like the Indigenous folks did. So we don't get to come in and take over that either.

4.) We have to get away from the goddamn heteronormative gender binary. Now this one I can speak of. Gender non-conforming folks like myself and non-hetero folks have always existed. In fact, I would hazard a guess that there were many queer folks engaging in witchcraft because witchcraft has always been an "outsider" type of practice. So now when we separate men and women, or say women have this ability or magic while men have this type you have alienated some of the more vulnerable people.

Also the idea that this thing has "masculine" energy while this one has "feminine" energy kind of confuses me. Masculine and feminine according to who? To which culture? To which faiths? Or are we just defaulting to us white folks again? Many of us having either a Christian upbringing or are immersed in a more Christian environment. So masculine and feminine according to Christianity? I don't know maybe this is my non-binary ass coming out. Maybe its because my personal beliefs focus a lot on balance.

Perhaps this is less noticeable for us solo practioners but lets be real here, a lot of us GNC folks avoid groups or covens or what have you because where the fuck do we fit in if everything is gendered into 2?

And remember, most cultures had a concept of a third (or more) gender. So they would have had spiritual beliefs that incorporated that person with the duality. Yet in many of the new age spirituality I see now really ignores that fact.

5.) There is no one-way to do anything. Seriously, before I had an official ADHD diagnosis, I wondered why in the fuck I couldn't meditate in the traditional ways. But everyone in the witchcraft community preached about how you have to meditate if you want to be close to your dieties/spiritual guides/etc. Not all brains function in the same way. You know what I found allowed me to get into a more meditative space? Sitting out on the back porch at night. No phone, no music, just listening to the sounds of nature around me (I am fortunate enough to live across from a nature preserve). Sometimes, yes, I do smoke (recreational MJ is legal in Michigan btw). Some people need to walk in the woods to meditate. Some people just can't do any of it. That's fucking FINE.

I am not Wiccan. I do not believe in the three-fold law. And that's ok. I also practice baneful magic sometimes. Other people do not. That's fucking OKAY. Some people do shadow work, others aren't ready. Maybe they'll never be ready. THAT'S OK. Some people have daily rituals or prayers or practices. Others like me wing it at every opportunity. THAT'S OK.

Not everyone has money to buy things. Not everyone is neurotypical. Not everyone is able bodied. Not everyone has access to a local community. Not everyone can openly practice. You get the idea.

And with that this post is getting long and I am getting tired. So I'm gonna end it here, but I may have a part 2 post coming up sometime later.

[goth-guppy]

Stardew oc time 💥💥💥💥he is literally neurodivergent and a miner

Rambling n such under the cut lmao vvv

🍋 His names Ronan, having moved to finally get away from how loud and distracting zuzu city could be- and because he'd heard about the caves and such and wanted in on that becaaauuuse

🍋 Real special interest in gemstones and minerals! Is delighted to live somewhere quieter where he can ever dig up his own minerals to work with

🍋 As opposed to Clint who's more practical stuff, Ronans really interested in decorations and jewelery. Would probably get on well w emily and haley if he could get past the beingg. very shy. lmao

🍋Comes across as a little cold and gruff, but he just avoids people because of the. above mentioned shyness and also being pretty nonverbal. It's rare for him to feel confident enough to talk freely.

(but if he is he can talk your ear off about rocks lmao)

🍋Probably has some sorta online store. The most frequent trips he takes into town are to post packages (is there a post office in the valley..? postbox...?)

🍋Scottish mf 💥💥

[n0wav]

BY THE WAY CHATTERS

Here’s some stuff about me if you even care

My name is wav I have been going by that name for years ever since middle school and although I have tried many times to abandon it I have not been able to shake it off (Taylor swift reference).

I am a 19 year old boy if you couldn’t tell by the way I am and talk about things.. I am very autistic and have had adhd ever since I was a little little child. I got ostracized as a child for it because I was the only kid in normal non special ed class who had any kind of neurodivergence and so kids didn’t really like me x3

I am asexual I don’t like sex it’s kinda lame and stuff there’s a whole story to that but you guys will never know!!!! I want to eventually prolly fall in love but I’m not very sure about that right now because I’m scared of love and relationships and I have trust issues so I’m not willing to do that right now

I currently only really hangout with 2 people, both are women, both are 22, one is in love with me, one is lesbian. Let’s start with R (the one in love with me). Now R is like awesome because she cosplays and when I ask her to do a cosplay she says “okay!” And it’s pretty awesome if you ask me. She knows I don’t have any actual feelings for her we have had the big talk about that and she’s okay with it. R is very very very very very pretty and awesome and sweet and kind but I am unfit to be in a relationship and she’s old 🤢🤮. She likes a lot of the same music I do and the other day I was really craving to listen to hatsune miku and then I started playing some and she knew the songs and it was awesome I #love R she’s one of my besties for reals

Next is C. C is lesbian so she isn’t in love with me but she always calls me cute and a twink which I think is really funny. She also says I look really breedable sometimes and I don’t know to feel about it. C is like a mother to me because whenever I’m sad she lays me on her shoulder and pets my hair and then I fall asleep laying on her shoulder and then I have my legs on R then I end up staying the night at their house.

C & R both have a lot more money than me (I am poor) so they drive me around and give feed me almost everyday and it’s the best life I could ask for.

Back to ME tho

My entire life people have told me I’m like a dog and I’ve kinda just accepted it at this point but it still feels offensive but I think deep down I know it’s true.

Here are some bands and artist I like!!!

Sodaboy64

Pavement

Mike krol

The smiths

The strokes

Weatherday

Hallowed

Nick drake

Radiohead

Dinosaur jr

The unicorns

Plumtree

Pixies

My blood valentines

Glass beach

Swirlies

The microphones

The cure

Cap’n jazz

Weezer

I hate myself because

The Sundays

Stephen malkmus and the jicks

Mad planets

Sunny day real estate

Mineral

Yuck

Moses Campbell

Cafe tacvba

Caifanes

Birdbath

Unwound

Neutral milk hotel

Jeff mangum

Stephen malkmus

J mascis

Bôa

Crying

The breeders

Feeble little horse

Worst party ever

Hatsune miku

Myself

That’s just a couple of them mostly the ones I listen to more than other music I like.

Here’s where I post music sometimes if you even care

Hhsjbf

Today I think everyone should listen to tuff ghost by the unicorns!

The unicorns are a Canadian indie rock back from the 2000s. I like to say they’re kinda like a mix of the microphones and jack stauber (if he made good music :3) but they are REALLY good!!! And not very talk about anywhere that I can see so make sure to share this song and band around with your friends!!

This is the end of the post thank you for reading my word vomit :3333

[hellhoundmaggie]

5 Songs

**Share 5 songs related to your current WIPs (art or writing related)

**If you don’t have a wip, you can share what you like about your top 5!

tagged by @cymatile, thank you cymatile

I usually don't listen to songs with lyrics when writing, because they're too distracting. Often I'll throw on that lo-fi hip-hop beats stream. But I will sometimes listen to a thematic song or two before writing to get in the proper headspace. And how convenient, I made up a playlist for my blorbo, Wayne Scarlethollow! Listen to it why doncha?

There are 13 videos on that list, but I will pick out my Top 5 songs from it and explain them! In no particular order:

1. Mx. Sinister (I Don't Know How But They Found Me)

And I'll get you yet (I'll get you yet) I've got to make you mine Just know I'm not the sinister type

Wayne kind of understands that he strikes people as creepy, but when he tries to be reassuring it just comes off as even creepier. But he's literally neurodivergent and a miner, so I'm willing to give him a pass. In fact, it's part of his charm.

2. I Will Possess Your Heart (Death Cab for Cutie)

How I wish you could see the potential The potential of you and me It's like a book elegantly bound but In a language that you can't read just yet

The way the instrumentals slowly build from a simple bass riff into an intense soundscape over more than four-and-a-half minutes before the vocals even kick in! Gives me chills, folks. Plus the stalker's smug condescension and certainty (or false bravado?) that he will earn his target's love captures Wayne's attitude to a T.

3. The Point of No Return (The Phantom of the Opera)

Past all thought of right or wrong One final question How long should we two wait before we're one?

If you watch the clip from the Royal Albert Hall's 2011 production of PotO, you'll understand why I picked this song. You all can see it, right? I firmly believe that events similar to the PotO scene will play out in Episode 6. Wayne will walk on in to Avery's party, letting the guests assume he's a guy with a bitchin' Halloween costume, and give MC a big ultimatum. MC must either leave their friends to the horrors and go with him to (relative) safety, or stay with them all and probably die. The drama!

4. Liebestod (Tristan und Isolde)

Do I alone hear this melody, which wonderfully and softly, lamenting delight, telling it all, mildly reconciling sounds out of him, invades me...

The final aria from Tristan und Isolde captures not only the tragic romance aspect of the Waynemance that I think the devs are building towards, but also how bizarre a Waynemancer MC must be to pass over a bunch of nice, conventionally-attractive people for a scary zombie man. Yes Sybil, Wayne is my friend and we're in love and I am drowning in his song and sweet smell. Why are you looking at me like that?

5. Under Attack (ABBA)

This is getting crazy, I should tell him so Really let my anger show Persuade him that the answer to his questions is a definite no (I'm kind of flattered I suppose)

"Stop following me! uwu" A bouncy 80s pop song is a fun way to close out a playlist full of heavy tracks and serious themes. And yet there's a haunting quality to this one. Again, I don't think the Waynemance is going to end well. But it's going to be a lot of fun, won't it?

Tagging @lytorika, @itsmewahoo, @nimbexy, @shanklinthestabpossum @kris-mage-fics. No pressure!

[autisticvoyage]

So, it's time for my first post here on my new tumblr account!! ✨🎉

To everyone who is just getting to know me:

Hi, I'm Jaiden, and I'm a 29 year old autistic trans man from Denmark! - Engaged to the wonderful @skyblue-feather 💜💙 - I've recently migrated here from Twitter!

I used to be in the ActuallyAutistic community there, so if anyone from there recognises me, feel free to say hi/follow, I'll follow back!

- A bit about my intersts otherwise:

Special interests: space, geography (country facts, maps, flags), cats and the neurodivergent mind (especially autism)!

Other intersts: science in general, horses, gaming anime, digital art, collecting crystals and minerals and star/galaxy/space relaxed things, and baking + cooking!

Fandoms: Pokémon, Danganronpa (especially V3) and JJBA

- Also kins, ig lol:

ID/irl: Kaito Momota (NDRV3), secondary: Josuke Higashikata (JJBA - DIU), Poké kin: Gible

- Otherwise I'm one of the biggest Saimota enjoyers out there. It's a huge comfort ship, since my fiancé and I are kinning them 💙💜 I'll probably be doing some art of them in the future!

If you feel like dropping me a follow, feel free to do so! I might follow back, if we got similar interests 😄

[arcadekore]

you should tell me about your oc/canon ships and then i will do the same to you. "i receive: someone going sicko mode & getting to hear about oc lore. you receive: someone literally so enthusiastic to hear about oc/canon ships as an acquaintance" type beat

I’m not sure where to start !! Aaaaa!!

Ig I couuuuld talk abt my very first ship that’s approaching the 3rd year anniversary in July and that’s roaralie ehe aka Roark from Pokémon dppt and Coralie my oc !! (Cora uses they/she/he btw!! You can interchange their pronouns, I tend to default to they but they’re non-binary!)

Well. I also have their moments for a bunch of their art here. It’s not updated cuz Twitter killed moments BUT

https://twitter.com/i/events/1348368574591741954?s=21

https://twitter.com/i/events/1292919385150062593?s=21

An alternate name I have for them is erosionshipping!

They met because Cora was exploring Sinnoh and got lost in the underground…multiple times. At first they were almost annoyed bc they felt so useless and an idiot and Roark had to help them bc normally their navigation is GREAT just not very deep underground LOL.

They are both goofy neurodivergent autism/adhd combo. They love each other a lot and make each other laugh, and infodump their interests and they’re just … best friends in love 💖💖💖

Also I draw Roark kinda buff. Sue me. He’s a miner he can’t possibly be that skinny. Like he’s not a bodybuilder brick shithouse but the man’s got arms I know he does.

Anyway they’re silly I lvoe them stan Roaralie or perish

⛏️🌊