Being both homeschooled since sixth grade and autistic have given me a different perspective on our online environment than others. I still have felt trapped and unbelievably stressed, but Zoom has been a bit of a comfort in its own way. I can manage what others see of me (camera on or off, and usually above the shoulders anyway), so I don’t have to fight my nervous ticks as badly. I also don’t feel like people are looking directly at me, they’re just looking at their screens, and so eye contact is not as stressed. Transportation times are basically nothing, I’m unlikely to get lost in my own house, and I don’t have to be in physically uncomfortable situations or overwhelming environments. I can also manage volume, both my own and others’! If I get a little too loud without realizing it, people can turn their volumes down a bit, and if something is hurting my ears, I can do the same.
For all its many faults, being online can increase accessibility for some. I am not saying it’s all great, or that we should be online forever, just that there are a few positives that don’t get discussed much, especially in terms of its interaction with neurodiversity. And also in general kind of touch on the contrast between the isolation of being online versus the overwhelming real world.
Moving on to the interview, I do agree that journaling is really important! It’s a way to preserve memories you would have forgotten, explore creative processes (such as painting landscapes as you see them and not worrying about the results, or recording dream journals without care for logic or things making sense), and it can show your growth over time. I also really responded to Ian Birky’s comments about being stimulated in an online world. I took up art when I was younger because I was no longer attending public school, and it was a way to fill the space where in-person social connection may have been. When something feels like it is lacking, art can be what fills in the gaps. Using a messy, relaxed approach to art through visual journaling can be a way to achieve the positives of both creative visual expression and journaling. You’re not just taking photographs of these moments, you’re actively giving your own perspective and context to the situation and having fun with it.
First blog post with a viewer discretion disclaimer! Love this image. And the fact that you are comfortable sharing personal experiences. I always enjoy the thoughtful commentary you include with your work. (You should check out Fan’s Vis Journaling post. I love the optimistic quote she included about the plague!)