btbnnyr wrote:
I need to express my frustration with the whole "NTs can do it too" response whenever anyone mentions any positives of being on the spectrum.
For any ability, there are NTs and Aspies who both display it. However, the amount of effort required may not be the same. There are many intellectual activities that are performed more easily by the autistic mind. NTs can accomplish the same, but usually with greater amounts of effort that a person may not choose to expend, especially if it diverts him from his need for social interaction.
For example, creative writing is one of my hobbies, and whenever I visit websites and forums for creative writing, I am always surprised that so many people have problems with writer's block. I can say that I have never ever experienced writer's block. I have never ever run out of ideas, because my autistic mind is an out-of-control idea generator. It can generate new ideas or new angles or new connections effortlessly. I don't have to try hard in this area. I don't have to sit down in a group to "brainstorm". My brain does it on its own. I am an associative thinker, and it's much harder for me to run out of ideas than it is for someone whose brain does not work this way. One can say that all kinds of people can think this way, and that is true, but not everyone is doing it as easily and joyfully as a natural associative thinker. From reading this forum, I can tell that many people here have this particular type of thinking that is a huge boost to any creative pursuit. I have rarely observed this same ability in NTs. I can tell because there are very few people who can keep up with me when we are going back and forth talking about an intellectual topic or just talking randomly. But I bet a lot of people on this forum could, and it wouldn't be difficult for them at all. If I were not autistic, then my brain would not work this way or would not work this way so easily.
"NTs can do it too" is just a statement to debase ourselves and continue to exist as if we are inferior. The statement is factually true, but it is not valid to say that all of one's individual strengths would still be there if one were NT instead of AS. In fact, that is extremely unlikely. NTs and Aspies have different profiles of strengths and weaknesses, and while cognizant of our weaknesses fitting into an NT society, we should not lose sight of our strengths. And for anyone who does not think they have any strengths, I will say that I didn't think I had any ability in creative writing until I tried it out one day and found to my shock that the ability was there for me to uncover and enjoy.
Sorry for rant.
I agree with everything you said.
I'm a writer too and I don't get writer's block, I get burn out. This might be because I also have ADHD and my medication pushes out every ounce of creative thought until I can barely think. I also have a seizure disorder which can regress my writing style for a day or two. I have been trying to counter this by taking one day breaks and I take the weekends off because I'm not medicated and when I'm like that it's hard to even sit still long enough to tie my shoelaces. Anyway, one thing that happens to me is I will constantly think about the story. If I am focused on something else I may not be able to write because it's not currently in my head. But if I take 10 minutes to sit in the sun the ideas will flood into my head. Medication can help to turn my focus from one thing another quickly. I'm an associative thinker too and if it wasn't for my brain being in story-teller mode after I go to bed then I wouldn't have much to write about the next day.
I think part of it is ADHD too because I change my mind so much, which does help with the development of the story, and I'm prone to zoning out at certain times of the night. So, when I'm trying to relax and watch TV I will be in my head thinking of that story and if the thoughts are strong I will end up in my bedroom typing out my ideas. On the weekends my head just floods with more ideas which I still remember when I'm back writing when the weekday comes around again.
I think my autism and ADHD (even those temporal epilepsy moments) help me write and make me a unique writer. I also have this mimicry thing where I can copy exact styles of authors, although, I'm trying to stick with a certain style now because so many writers use different methods. I also think when it comes to really emotional moments where I am almost paralyzed with emotion is something else I do different too. And my influences for characters and certain elements of my stories are very characteristic of autism.
And like I said before, the isolation and at times social apathy means I have a lot of time to work on my novel. Even more own moods affect how I write, sometimes for good or bad.
03 Jul 2011, 6:04 pm
