Autism awareness month
It’s still April, just about, and that means it’s still World Autism Acceptance Month, and it landed a bit differently this year.
I was recently diagnosed. It was a shock, honestly, it comes with a hell of a lot of self reflection on the last 36 years of my life, and I'm still sitting with it. But one thing that's already clear is that a lot of my life as a designer and otherwise makes a different kind of sense now.
➽ I obsess over detail. Most people call that perfectionism. I call it caring about what I put my name on and making sure my clients always get my best. In design, that means every element has a reason for being there.
➽ I need to understand the why before I can think about the what. That might look like overthinking. Really, it means I'll never do something just because that's how it's always been done. In design, that's the difference between a logo and a brand.
➽ I see patterns everywhere, in problems, in visuals, in ideas. People might think I'm making connections that aren't there. I'd argue I'm seeing ones that others miss. In design, that's where the interesting work lives.
➽ Vague briefs frustrate me, no matter how experienced I get. That might read as high maintenance. Give me clarity though, and I'll give you everything I've got. In design, that clarity is what separates a good outcome from a great one.
➽ Small talk doesn't come naturally to me. It's not that I'm uninterested. I just want to get to the good stuff. The real conversations, the ones that actually go somewhere. In design, that means getting deep into a client's world quickly, which is exactly where the best work comes from.
No wonder I found myself in design.
I still want to be a train driver and/or an astronaut though. There's time. 😂
Alongside my other recent diagnosis of ADHD, which surprises neither me nor anyone who knows me. The combination of the two presents its own challenges, but I do love a challenge.
"To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom."
I'm not sharing this because I have it all figured out. I'm sharing it because today feels like the right day, and because it might help someone. I'd bet some of you reading this are connecting a few dots of your own.
This photo of me has always stuck in my mind.
Look how bloody symmetrical that is.
