Black Lives Matter

hello friend

How has your week been? Hope it has been ok. Hope. Big word. Yet it seems impossible to keep a hold of despite its size. Any single hour this week would have been a key event of 2019 but now its just another hour in a long series of hours. It is easy to feel hopeless looking at the world today but just remember that we’ve come so far. While history is littered with tragedy that we seem doomed to repeat we have progressed. We will continue to progress. We must progress. I hope.

#BlackLivesMatter

mental health

I think I’ve talked about autism before in this section. But autism isn’t mental health. There are mental health issues autistic people have and I can discuss it from that angle. It is important to separate the two. Just a reminder to you and to myself. I need to figure this section out really. Am I discussing mental health or autism or both. It needs a better title.

With everything going on this week do not feel like you need to keep on top of it all. The human brain can’t handle everything. The world needs you to be ok so take time for yourself and take time to support the things you want to support.

Don’t compare yourself to what others are doing. You do your bit. That’s totally cool. Try not to think negatively. I know it is hard but try and find some positive things to fight against the negative ones.

Take care all. Remember to talk.

autism

A friend recently asked for clarification on what it means to be autistic and not someone with autism.

What is the spectrum? One analogy might be you’re either a driver or you’re not. If you are a driver you may have the same car as someone else but it’s your car and will be different enough from someone else’s. It might be as simple as the mileage being different but it will be. Everyone drives differently. Some people will be a natural at gear changes. Others may never properly get it and do their best. They’ll have little tips and tricks for getting around. Some may help you and some may not. Everyone is different. It’s a spectrum. You can’t be more autistic any more than you can be more a driver. You can have better skills and take advantage of your own talents but you can’t be more or less than someone else.

At least that’s my understanding.

“We cannot talk about #blacklivesmatter without talking about disabled black lives. About half of those who experience police violence are disabled.” – Read more.

Design by jtknoxroxs. Words by crutches_and_spice.

video

Book review: Diane Arbus – In the beginning – https://amzn.to/2MzIKR4

How looking at her work helped me appreciate non-verbal communication as a photography skill.

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photos

These protest photos were taken in Liverpool in 2017 just after we came back from NYC. I imagine they could have been taken today. It is upsetting. Dreadfully upsetting but I have hope in these people to change the world.