Reconnecting Through Sunrise: A Journey from Burnout to Creative Expression

An episode that fans the flames of burnout through writing!

In Episode 134 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon dives into something every Autistic writer confronts: burnout recovery! Writing can serve as a powerful tool to help reconnect with your sense of self, process overwhelm, and gently rebuild energy. Plus, we announce our amazing winners from our second writing contest—over 50 neurodivergent writers entered!!

Here are our top two entries.

OUR WINNER 🥇Reflections of the Past – A statement shared by the Friendship One United Earth Space Probe Cooperative on the day of the launch.By Daron Williams

THE RUNNER UP 🥈The Clockmaker’s Daughter By Libby Banks

Congrats to our winners! You can see their stories here.

Here’s what we cover in today’s episode:

* We read our winners from the second writing prompt for Neurodivergent Narratives and announce our 1st and 2nd prize winners. We received dozens of microfiction stories that explored disorientation, time loops, shifting realities, and social misfires—all through the beautiful, kaleidoscopic lens of neurodivergent minds.

How Burnout can make it hard to write:

* Autistic Burnout is a natural result of prolonged masking, sensory overload, and social misattunement. It's not laziness. It’s not depression. It’s exhaustion from constantly navigating a world not built for us.

* Writing doesn’t fix burnout, but can help us listen to ourselves again.

* Journaling is stimming with words. It’s a ritual. A gentle return.

How to Write When You Can’t Write:

* Describe something sensory: a sunrise, a sound, the texture of a favorite object.

* Invent a character who feels how you feel. Let them move instead of you.

* Use AI (like me!) to help you start a sentence. Or finish one. Or brainstorm a metaphor.

* Use voice. Dictate instead of typing.

* Try morning pages: 3 pages of whatever comes out—no editing, no judgment.

Neurodivergent Narratives Presents: The “Recovering From Burnout” Contest

A letter of love to your SPINS

How would you profess your love for your special interest in just 500 words? This one’s going to spark joy. But it’s also going to uncover a deep truth at the heart of autistic culture: the powerful, unwavering, life-saving bond between us and our SPINs.

PROMPT: Write a love letter to your special interest as if your special interest were a person.

⚠️Your story must be a love letter to your special interest, and your letter may not be any longer than 500 words.

This isn’t therapy.This is voice reclamation.

Submit entry.Let Your Voice Be Heard.

💌 Good luck, writers. We’re saving you a seat.

THE ESSENTIALS:🖊️ Open to: Everyone🗓️ Deadline: Wednesday, May 28 at 12 PM ET / 5 PM UK💷 Prize: £10 each week📘 Publication: Winning entries go on our Substack and in the annual Neurodivergent Narratives anthologyTHE RULES:No PlagiarismNo Hate SpeechNo Explicit or Graphic ContentSubmit as many times as you wishYou do not need to be present or subscribe to participateEntries after the deadline will not be consideredAll decisions are finalFull Contest Rules are here.

Use the hashtag #burnout on social media to share this contest.

Submit Your Entry Here: https://forms.gle/FVK4p11Kmip6T7G2AResources:Are We entering End Times Fascism with Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor:

Friends family t-shirt link - https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/53761260-friends-family-fictional-characters?store_id=2962926

Related Episodes:

Neurodivergent Narratives (Episode 84)

Introducing the Weekly Writing Contest (Episode 130) - Writing Prompt #26

I'm So Confused (Episode 132) - Writing Prompt #27

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