510 | Asexuality, Grief, and Community - with Emily Karp
Nov 21, 2023
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Emily Karp, a 33-year-old entrepreneur and asexuality activist, discusses her ADHD journey, becoming a funeral celebrant, and helping others grieve. She also delves into the complexity of asexuality and aromanticism, highlighting non-romantic partnerships and support networks. The podcast explores the unique intersectionality of ADHD and the ACE community, emphasizing the power of community and connection.
Embracing ADHD can lead to personal and professional growth, as demonstrated by Emily's transition from a mundane government job to becoming a funeral celebrant.
Advocating for asexuality and aromanticism is crucial in broadening perspectives on attraction and connection, fostering understanding and acceptance within diverse sexual orientations and identities.
Being part of supportive communities, both online and offline, can provide invaluable support, connection, and personal growth.
Deep dives
Emily Carr's journey from ADHD diagnosis to entrepreneurship
Emily Carr's turning point came when she was diagnosed with ADHD, which led her to leave her mundane government job and become an entrepreneur as a funeral celebrant. Her unique approach to memorializing lives focuses on celebrating the collective path we share. In addition to her entrepreneurship, Emily is also an advocate for asexuality and aromanticism, shedding light on these orientations and broadening perspectives on attraction and connection. This episode explores the intersection of ADHD, entrepreneurship, asexuality, and aromanticism, emphasizing the importance of finding one's community and understanding oneself in all aspects of life.
Emily Carr's journey towards embracing her ADHD diagnosis
Emily Carr gradually came to the realization that she had ADHD in her late 20s and early 30s. She pursued a diagnosis, attended an ADHD-related course, and eventually joined the ADHD Rewired Coaching Program. Her decision to address her ADHD was driven by job-related difficulties and struggles in maintaining basic routines and habits. After receiving a diagnosis and participating in the coaching program, Emily started to make progress in areas like sleep hygiene and medication management, leading to improvements in her overall life functioning.
Emily Carr's transformation into an entrepreneur as a funeral celebrant
Emily Carr transitioned from working in a mundane government job to becoming a funeral celebrant after embracing her ADHD and quitting her previous position. As a funeral celebrant, she crafts personalized funerals and celebration of life events for non-religious individuals, incorporating her unique approach to memorialize lives. Emily's passion for this work stems from her experiences with grief and attending both meaningful and lackluster funerals. Her goal is to provide people with the end-of-life ceremony they deserve, ensuring that it honors the individual and helps with the grieving and healing process.
Emily Carr's role as an advocate for asexuality and aromanticism
Emily Carr is not only an entrepreneur but also an advocate for asexuality and aromanticism. She brings clarity to these orientations, creating awareness and broadening perspectives on attraction and connection. Through her activism and storytelling, Emily encourages others to embrace their asexuality or aromantic identity and explores the complexities and nuances of these experiences. Her work aims to foster understanding and acceptance of different forms of attraction and connection, highlighting the importance of community and support in navigating diverse sexual orientations and identities.
The power of community in Emily Carr's life
Community plays a vital role in Emily Carr's life and personal growth. Being a part of various communities, such as the ADHD Rewired and ACE communities, has provided her with support, connection, and understanding. Through community, Emily has found encouragement, different perspectives, and a sense of belonging. These communities allow her to share her experiences, learn from others, and establish valuable connections. Community also plays a significant role in her work as a funeral celebrant, as it helps bring people together during times of grief. Overall, community has been a transformative and empowering force in Emily's journey.
This week, Eric is joined by Emily Karp! Emily is a 33-year-old entrepreneur, asexuality activist, and fan-work creator! She embraced her ADHD around age 30 and quit her tedious job to become self-employed as a funeral celebrant and memorial slideshow editor who crafts personalized funerals and celebration-of-life events for non-religious individuals. Emily went through the ADHD reWired coaching program in spring of 2021 and became a peer mentor in 2022. Emily is also one of the authors of the book Ace and Aro Journeys: A Guide to Embracing your Asexual or Aromantic Identity, and is a lead organizer of the Washington DC Metro Area Ace and Aro meetup group! Learn more about Emily at griefpictured.com! Questions/Topics: [00:01:39] Introducing Emily [00:02:41] Diving into the start of Emily’s ADHD journey [00:03:37] The stakes of getting an ADHD diagnosis [00:04:47] Life as an administrative professional before treatments [00:08:47] Burnout, becoming an entrepreneur, sleep struggles, and coaching [00:10:30] The “why” behind becoming a non-religious Funeral Celebrant [00:13:24] Helping others grieve and heal, family estrangements, memorial gatherings, and closure [00:17:17] Grief to acceptance with ADHD [00:24:07] The basics of asexuality and aromantics [00:26:04] Nuances of ace relationships, significant others, attraction, and more [00:28:25] Physical desire, libido, and other statistics in the asexual community [00:30:44] A discussion on dysfunction, orientation, sexual trauma, and gatekeeping [00:33:20] ADHD and neurodivergence in the Ace community [00:42:07] The positive impact of community and relationships [00:45:01] Emily’s facilitated sessions in the ADHD reWired community spaces [00:46:54] Sharing more wins [00:48:43] Emily’s work, website, and closing thoughts Resources & Honorable Mentions: Podcast: Aceterpretations Website: TAAAP - The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project @ taaap.org Book: Ace and Aro Journeys: A Guide to Embracing Your Asexual or Aromantic Identity Want to go to CHADD this year? Go to chadd.org to learn more! 🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!
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