You know what, maybe its just because I'm autistic, but it really baffles me how growing up autistic people are so firmly shamed for happy stimming.
Like to be so happy you can't do anything but move? Can't help but hum, or squeal, or flap? To be momentarily blinded by sheer happiness? So much happiness that youre ever rushing mind shortcircuts into nothing but feeling? How is that anything but wonderful?
How could you witness such a thing, such true emotion and tell them that they're being cringey and weird? How can you look at the person in front of you overflowing with joy, and tell them they need to knock it off, and sit still like a normal person? How can you see someone light up in such a sincerely human way, making their merriment visible to the world, practically made of pure happiness and tell them to stop?
How can be shown someones soul and say they should hide it away?
I'm currently de-compressing after a mission in my lab, which means spinning in my chair, watching Jupiter Jim & listen to my favourite song on repeat.
Are you autistic? Are you an autistic artist? Are you autistic and a person of color? Are you an autistic person who feels that your story has been untold in common narratives of autism? Are you creative?
If yes, we want YOU! Specifically, I want to invite you to contribute to this show I'm a part of called the autistic monologues! We are seeking to tell as many aspects of the autistic experience as we can and there is simply only so much we can cover as a rather homogeneous group (mostly white, 19-22, queer, undiagnosed or late diagnosed, etc) from one small college. Please fill out this form if you have anything you'd like to submit! Videos and art we can project digitally and recordings of your writing are particularly welcome!
Even if you aren't eligible to submit, please reblog this and spread the word, maybe one of your followers is! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or @southernwizards
I work at an aquarium and today I was out by an exhibit with a table of shark artifacts(jaws, eggs, teeth) telling people about sharks. About an hour into my shift a teenager visiting with their friend saw me, gasped, pointed, and their hands immediately started flapping. They came over and I got to tell them all my shark facts instead of just the ones kids find the most interesting and when they left we both had the biggest smiles on our faces. I love my job so much