You may know I was diagnosed with autism 10yrs ago. You may not know I was also diagnosed with schizophrenia at the same time. Today is World Schizophrenia
Awareness Day (1). Here in so-called Australia, schizophrenia affects between 150,000-200,000 humans (2).
You might know autism and ADHD/ADD are forms of neurodivergence, but did you
know that schizophrenia social anxiety/anxiety disorders and depression are as well?
Neurodivergence means having a different brain to what is historically, clinically and socially classified as “normal”. (shudder)
Fortunately for the neurospicy like me, the Social Model of Disability is seeing medical definitions rewritten with a healthier focus, changing outdated societal ideologies and expectations.
My form of schizophrenia is visceral (3). When I’m tired, stressed, or anxious, my
symptoms can arise despite daily medications. I see, hear, and feel bugs. Flying, buzzing, crawling insects. Bugs creeping on my scalp and into my skin. It’s usually a speck of dust. Sometimes, it’s actually an insect. An offset of my schizophrenia is a cognitive disability (4) (confused thinking, loss of words, disjointed understanding, and
forgetfulness).
There is too much misinformation on how schizophrenia manifests. Science has not discovered irrefutably what causes it; however, mine was likely brought on by excessive stress and poor health maintenance.
When the word “crazy” is so easily used as a gross negative, it paints schizophrenics as bad people with uncontrollable brains leading to dangerous behaviour. We see this stereotype in the media when individuals enact incomprehensible harm (5). More often, the individual is just a massive angry douche. To be clear: people with schizophrenia are rarely violent, and when they are it is usually self-harm (6).
I’m not prone to hyperbole, but every time I hear someone use the term “crazy”
derogatorily, it HURTS me. It means you consider ME suboptimal.
I know language is difficult to change. Hell, I’m almost 50 & struggle with using “crazy”, particularly directed at myself. We stopped using other harmful words in my lifetime, so we can stop using this one too.
@mutualaid
PLEASE HELP DISABLED FAMILY SURVIVE HOMELESSNESS
Disabled Latina Multidisciplinary Artist
Full Time Caretaker for elderly mother
Sole income is from creating
Homeless and lost access to
PC, guitar and Recording Equipment
Can no longer take on
commissions, look for clients,
create videos for her YT
Nor market anything properly
Has taken to Online SW
and even that is limited
@mutualaid Sabi is now down to $793 toward the total and $410 toward the hotel fee. She luckily still has access to WiFi. Since she and her mom, who has dementia, have been unable to leave the room, mom has been getting agitated. Please, uplift with intention and if you're able to help with a repost, boost, favorite, I'd appreciate it. As would Sabi, mom, and bunny. #MutualAid#MutualAidRequest#DisabledFamily#disabledpoc#DisabledArtist#Homeless#povertycrowdfund#crowdfunding
@mutualaid The urgency cannot be overstateed as rent which is due in a week. Please, include 🏘️ in memo so I know where this goes. They've already dealt with eviction threats in the past and they can't deal with this again. Venmo/PayPal: @seelpah / CashApp: $SeelpahC
I worked for about 4 hours -
1 for publishing and sharing my comic.
1 for updating my website with logo-section.
1 for making logo lineart for client 1.
And 1 for continuing a cover design for client 2.
Maybe one day I can pay for someone to do the social media parts so I could put more hours into actual painting, drawing, and sketching. (^_^)*
I wish there was some super simple video making tutorial that helps people like me understand how to create effective art related short form videos.
I am tech potato, and making videos is super exhausting to me...so if someone does know some tips, tutorials, or helpful step-by-step blogposts that'd be cool.
I almost finished a client work today, and was suprised how fast I was working...until i realized I had been hit by hyperfocus, and in fact had been doing it for way longer than I had intended.
Despie this, I am proud of the work and hope the client will love it next week. (:
I'll try to be at work tomorrow for hiisikoloART and reply emails, work on commissions, and all that jazz.
However, if I am not replying or seem to be still off this week it's because I am going to start new medication for chronic pain tonight and don't know if it is going to give me side effects that halt my ability to work. If the issues dont pass in a week or so, I'll go off the meds and just deal with pain so I can work.
#MutualAidRequest
Help two recently housed disabled trans people stay medicated and make their rent.
Med goal: $0/$100
Rent: $100/$1100 (by Jan 1st)
My QPP Luke and I are in need of help again. We're both disabled and trans, and have become recently housed again in the last 2 months after being homeless. We need help with being able to get our medical marijuana for the next couple days. We both use it for cPTSD, chronic pain, and appetite stimulation. We're also going to need help towards making rent for January.
Luke's been shadowbanned on tiktok for supporting Palestine, and we've been relying on tiktok to get new crochet and digital art commissions.I'll be sharing some of their past work to showcase it, but please check out their ko-fi link if you are interested. that's one way that you can help us that's not directly donating. They do crochet work such as beanies, bags, fingerless gloves, lanyards and more: https://ko-fi.com/lukeorion
#MutualAidRequest
Help two recently housed disabled trans people stay medicated for the weekend.
Goal: $0/$60
In need of $60 today to help with obtaining our medical marijuana for the weekend ($50 of the $60) and with gas and getting garbage bags (the other $10). My QPP Luke and I are two disabled trans people trying to get back on our feet after being homeless. We both use medical marijuana for CPTSD, our chronic pain, and to help with appetite stimulation (both have GI issues).
Luke also makes and sells crochet work such as beanies, bags, fingerless gloves, lanyards and more (they have commission slots available!) on their Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/lukeorion
You may not know this to look at me and my life, but I am an independent, disabled trans artist and survive on the poverty line as I am unable to work.
I am putting my entire savings into my upcoming gala opening because I believe in the power of community. So your philanthropy towards my passion project means everything, even if just $10. Even if you just share this post with your networks. It counts and I am grateful.
I was told there was a meeting at work yesterday where they discussed replacing me with AI generated art. I don't even know how to begin to process this, but it feels really, really awful.
On a more postive note: I started scanning and test printing some of my work yesterday. So far I'm pretty happy with how that's going.