How Neurodivergence Affected My Writing.

"It's a strength, not a weakness."

These infamous words are typically thrown around and yet used to describe a certain quality individuals have that inhibits them, but also can serve to propel them forward in the future. It's not really problematic in my opinion, as truth be told it has affected me so much during my formative years that I managed to pull through years of fearing paper-wasps, (nasty little buggers), and avoiding individuals who used to belittle me maliciously. However, in what way does this affect me as a person for my personal career choice?

Chances are if you read my previous work, "Delivery Driving: A Small Job With a Big Impact" then you have experienced a bit of my personal writing style. In that article, I explained why a small job had a big impact for me, and in that I became personal in the details, although more importantly I focused on the broad feelings and the lessons that I have learned from such a job. As personal as it can be, it also comes off as technical and sometimes a bit by the book. However, this is partially due to the fact that being born as a Neurodivergent individual has given me a different perspective.

And How Exactly Did A Different Perspective Help?

Better question to those reading. Why would a different perspective be anything but helpful? Sure, we live in a day and age where opinions are shared to the betterment or detriment of someone's argument. Narrow-minded perspectives can be rather limiting to the people exposed to it, however the ability to witness both sides of an argument and still come to your own conclusion can be enlightening and refreshing.

I Became Hyper Focused

Hyper focus is simple to understand. You develop a fixation on a hobby or interest, and usually that manifested in various ways for me when growing up as a neurodivergent kid. It made me an overachiever as a child, and as a grown man it made me consistently working hard for the smallest of things. These small things are what lead me to wanting to become a writer. And as a writer, it lead to me being much more focused, but also technical.

I Became Highly Empathetic

In my writing, I like to pride myself in being able to empathize and understand various personalities. Pleasant or otherwise, I have a capability to understand the emotions of certain personality types, while also applying that to my writing of fiction. It also allowed me for being highly understanding in real life, which can translate to writing. Overall, Neurodivergence made me difficult to understand social convention, however I am able to understand emotions to a severely empathetic degree.

Why It Doesn't Need to Be A Hindrance.

And that's what being neurodivergent to me did. In my writing I tend to be descriptive, personal, and yet all the same formal and verbose. However, I do want to say that it doesn't matter so much that it's formal and verbose and more that it is personal and the way I write. And being Neurodivergent can come with a lot of difficulties certainly, however you can also turn that same thing into a strength. A strength which you can always be proud of.

A strength that will propel you forward to greater heights.

Growing up with a condition or an inhibition need not be a reason to give up, but instead can be a strength that you can use to become a more sufficient person. Better than most people perhaps, although more likely important to self-development.

Bear all this in mind the next time you look at a weakness in life, and turn it into a positive trait that can lead to your dreams turning into reality.

Sincerely,

Sal