Neurokind Issue #3
Visual & Written Works Exploring Neurodivergent Identity
Letter from the Editor,
This is the final issue of Neurokind in its current form. This year I spent too much of my time and energy exchanging emails. I want to shift into spending more time making art and holding space for community.
For a start we’ll be back in January with a virtual retreat. I’ll reach out with final dates after the new year. This will be a weekend to connect and spent time together making art and co-regulating our nervous systems.
Paid subs are closed while I transition the Neurokind offering. Funds from 2024 were used to pay for the Neurokind.art domain name, design (fonts, etc.), and to commission this illustration for our first virtual retreat from artist
.Have a lovely December.
I appreciate you.
P.S. Here’s a peek at our Neuro Nest Retreat logo!
Savonna Atkins
The Three-Year Garden
2024
Fabric, thread, and yarn
23.5 inches x 19.75 inches
If I…
…pull on this nerve here, and that nerve there, and those ones over there,
straining each and every fibre that binds skin to bone,
relishing the pulsating energy,
the raw throbbing electricity
skittering along the supple strands.
…collect the almost infinite ends and tie them in a knot, freakishly tight,
pulling them so hard I threaten to shatter anyway,
my outer stretched taut,
my inner tense,
nerves jangling under tension.
…reside in my flesh when I’d rather expand to fill the universe,
that vast, wide, interminable, universe in which to soar, to fly,
My atoms stretching their bonds thinly,
vibrating freely,
filling the infinite space.
…gather inwards, bruising muscles to compress my soul,
the now perfect tightness forcing the world to bounce off me,
my essence protected, gathered neatly
behind twitching muscle
and pounding blood.
…steadfastly pull the edges of my ever splintering self inward,
holding tight the fragmenting shards, melding them, uniting.
Maybe if I apply all my effort,
if I try hard enough,
I will stay whole today,
And not unravel.
If….
Alex Grace Gabriel
Trail Drawing: Lone Cabin Road
Textile
Warmth
This feeling is unfamiliar
Yet my body remembers it
In a hazy flashback way
Can this be bottled and applied
Like an aftershave
It smells sweet
It feels soft
A hug so right it presses and caresses
Every corner and edge is touched
Could this be weaved
Into a blanket
To wrap, to cover, to hold
In the darkest of nights
Filling up the empty space
Fuelling warmth to fight the cold
A forgotten dream
Lost in everything behind and ahead
I'd slip and fall in between
Sheets of words and the sheets of my bed
It remembers, even amongst flickering embers
Warmth
(I sigh)
Warmth
Crystal Marie
Hiragi
woolgathering
Carrie Ravenscroft
We Were Failed
118.8 cm x 168.2 cm. Mixed Media on Paper. 2024.
In the realm of neuroscience, we catch glimpses of how we 'function' and, at times, how we 'don't'. This exploration delves into the reasons behind our functional mishaps and whether they are modifiable. Yet, this journey is not about self-blame or self-help; it's about elevating awareness of difference and its role for individuals, their communities, and humanity. Often, science and art are seen as conflicting forces. I prefer to view them as equally driven by curiosity, the compulsion to know and explore. When we introduce varied and marginalised groups, including neurodivergent voices, into this mix, it broadens and deepens our understanding of our Selves.
My research into neurodivergence, juxtaposed with my lived experience, creates a visual narrative for others to see and feel. It aims to contribute a previously unheard piece to the global conversation about fitting into society's 'normal' functioning paradigm. This is a dialogue about the world as experienced by those who grapple with conventional societal constructs.
Reflecting on my educational journey, I often wonder whether I failed school or if the school system failed me. It was a series of painful, repetitive failures until I sought help, but only after failing university. With a support network encompassing diagnosis, disability assessment, ADHD medication, coaching, study skills, therapy, and neurodiversity mentoring, I was able to complete my Master's degree. Ah, networks again.
This pursuit of understanding led to a curiosity about brain function, stemming from a sense of 'difference'. Initially, my efforts were to fit in, but over time, my perspective shifted. I embraced my uniqueness, transforming it into a lifelong quest for connection, community and growth. This shift is reflected in my art, where neuron-like structures began to manifest. I wonder if my collaboration with neuroscientists in this project, conjured a deeper, more realistic perspective.
The visual style of this series, comprising interconnected individual pieces, extends my exploration of connection and networks. It draws inspiration from the human body, nervous system, and brain while echoing the collaborative, networked, essence of this project. The series presents four elements. One for each element of this study, including preparation and reflection. While distinct, these elements are designed to interconnect, as well as allow for future additions (growth).
Angela Starosta
Oxytocin
Martine van Bijlert
untitled (weaving 1)
2024
20x30cm
acrylic on paper
Get out of your comfort zone, they say. That’s the only way to grow.
But I am not a seed that needs their intervention.
I am evening primrose, opening my palms of yellow, lemon-scented petals at dusk.
My seeds scattered by the wind across all landscapes and even the roadside.
My beauty is unexpected and surprising.
I blossom by the light of the moon.
When others wilt, I am my most vivacious.
I bloom and grow in comfort.
Outside of that zone, I wither.
Erica Settino
Gaelle Chassery
Fractals
Meet our supporters.
Thanks to our supporters including
, , , , , , , , , , Erica Settino, and to those who wished to donate anonymously.You can see their work and Substack publications here:
How to support this project:
Forward Neurokind to a friend.
Share or “restack” on Substack.
Post a screenshot to social media (tag us on Instagram.)
Spotlight Neurokind in your newsletter.
Comments are open so you can support the artists.
Please be kind or you will be removed from participating in this space.