Divergent Conversations
Episode 45: The Creative Sides of Autism + Advocacy Through Art [featuring Bret Malley]
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Creativity is a powerful tool for autism advocacy and personal expression.
- Creating an ideal sensory environment boosts creative flow and productivity.
- Embracing special interests can lead to innovation, creativity, and social change.
Deep dives
The Impact of Creativity on Self-Expression
Creativity serves as a powerful tool for self-expression, allowing individuals to be present and connected to their inner worlds. It provides a medium for those who struggle with being present, facilitating a profound connection to oneself and the moment. The process of creating helps individuals, especially neurodivergent individuals, feel understood and seen, offering a unique form of love through self-expression.
Disrupted Creativity and Environmental Impact
Engaging in creativity can lead to hyperfocus and disrupted experiences, particularly when external disruptions occur. The intensity of creative focus can be overwhelming, leading to irritability and a sense of being pulled out of the immersive state. Creating an ideal sensory environment, such as using weighted blankets, zero gravity chairs, and calming music, can help boost creative flow and productivity.
Optimal Environments for Creativity
For some individuals, creating in environments with higher external stimulation, like coffee shops or nature settings, enhances their creative output. Traveling to new places can stimulate creativity due to the novel experiences and stimuli. Routine tasks at home may not foster as much creativity, necessitating a change of scenery to unlock imaginative ideas and inspiration.
Incorporating Special Interests for Self-Care
Many autistic individuals have special interest ecosystems that offer comfort and grounding during times of stress. These interests not only form a crucial part of identity but also help in reducing stress and accessing deeper sources of energy. Embracing special interests can lead to innovation, creativity, and social change. Society's negative perceptions can create a sense of shame around these interests, but celebrating them can help in fostering self-awareness and maintaining mental well-being.
Overcoming the Apology Reflex
Autistic individuals often have a reflexive tendency to apologize excessively, reinforcing feelings of being a burden. Breaking free from this reflex involves changing responses to situations and using affirmative language instead of constant self-deprecation. Adjusting language patterns can help in cultivating a positive self-image, promoting confidence, and reducing neurodivergent shame and low self-esteem.
Creativity is a medium of expression and connection that often works well for neurodivergent individuals.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, are joined by Bret Malley, filmmaker, professor, late-in-life diagnosed Autistic person, and father of an Autistic son, for an enriching conversation that explores the intersection of autism and creativity.
Bret shares his journey of autism advocacy, inspired by the desire to support his son, using creative outlets, as well as shares his process and inspiration for creating a documentary that seeks to provide a more authentic understanding of autism, reflecting on the creative process and the balance of vulnerability and representation that comes with such a responsibility.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
- Understand the importance of presence and how creative endeavors can help individuals, particularly those with autism and ADHD, to feel more connected and alive amidst the struggles of an overactive mind or an uncooperative body.
- Learn about the role that environmental factors can play for Autistic individuals in the ability to concentrate and be present in work, as well as the benefits of creating a designated space and time to dedicate to entering a zone of hyperfocused creativity (or the “vortex” as described by Megan Anna).
- Identify how from the devastation of the pandemic there was also a rise in virtual engagements that fostered unexpected creative synergies and closer relationships.
Creativity and art can be powerful means for autism advocacy and personal expression. We encourage you to think about the ways your creative expression can affect how you connect with the world around you, as well as lead to more compassion and understanding.
More about Bret Malley:
Bret Malley is an award-winning filmmaker as well as a full-time career and technical educator, professional photographer, and author of Adobe Master Class; Advanced Compositing in Adobe Photoshop CC. His visual work and articles have been featured internationally in magazines and publications such as Photoshop User, Advanced Photoshop magazine, Photoshop Creative magazine, and Photography is Art magazine among others. He is a full-time college professor in Visual Communications and Multimedia Arts at Chemeketa Community College and teaches a range of classes and topics including animation, motion graphics, filmmaking, photography, sound design, augmented and virtual reality, emerging media, and various creative software and tools.
With an MFA in Computer Art from Syracuse University, and a BA in Film and Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz, Bret has been a return guest on KelbyOne’s The Grid, is a regular expert on Photobacks TV (PixelU), and also speaks at national live events and teaches various online classes (through CreativeLive, KelbyOne, and Craftsy). Whenever he is not teaching, leading international photography tours (through Craftours), working on films, creating personal works, or out adventuring around Oregon with his wife, Erin, and son, Kellen, Bret is also squeezing in commercial work across the US.
In addition to immersing himself in the world of digital imagery, Bret Malley has won various accolades as a filmmaker, animator, composer, and documentarian—working in social justice themes of global and regional import. He is most known for his feature film Greenwashers (2011). See more of Bret’s work at www.BretMalley.com.
- Donate to the Film: thedivergentgift.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thedivergentgift
- YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCGbSkKMy4Y5H-RNLD8KXZtQ
- Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089547930854
Resources:
Check out Dr. Neff’s new book, Self-Care for Autistic People, here to learn more about the book: neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people
Join the Neurodivergent Insights newsletter to take advantage of the pre-order special: newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care (Available throughout the month of March 2024)
- Use this coupon code to get a discount on Neurodivergent Insights Workbooks and contribute to the Divergent Gift documentary: Use coupon code: “DivergentGift” at Neurodivergent Insights to receive a 25% discount on your purchases. More importantly, using this code ensures that 20% of your purchase directly supports the film’s production.
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Mentioned in this episode:
The Autistic Burnout Workbook
I'm Dr. Megan Anna Neff, owner of Neurodivergent Insights, and I'm excited to announce the release of my book, The Autistic Burnout Workbook. I'm running a special deal for those who support my work. After you order, you will get a coupon code that you can use toward our store for the same amount. For example, the workbook costs $18.99, so after purchase, you'd get a credit of $18.99 to use in our digital shop or in our Etsy shop, which gets you another digital workbook of your choosing for free. This is technically a pre-order promotion that was originally set to end on March 10th, but for listeners of the podcast, I'm going to extend this deal, so if you buy the book in the next month, you can also redeem this special. Thank you for supporting my work. It means so much to me and I hope that you will find this a helpful resource for you as you continue to build a life that is a bit more resilient to autistic burnout. Use the following link to grab this offer: https://neurodivergentinsights.notion.site/17ea17a4bb8b8034ab2bf9b03c560a64 After this deal ends, you can use this link to purchase this workbook: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Autistic-Burnout-Workbook/Megan-Anna-Neff/9781507223062
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