In Visibility

In-Visibility

What Do You Know About The Neurodivergent Community?

   My project is called In Visibility. In-Visibility focuses on bringing attention to neurodivergence and invisible disabilities which are not represented as much as they should be. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term which categorizes differences in the brain outside the “norm”, such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, Tourette's, and so on. Many mental illnesses and disorders such as bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder are also now recognized as neurodivergence, as embracing it means recognizing the whole person and going beyond just the label of mentally ill. While not every neurodivergent person is disabled, many people who are neurodivergent struggle with mental or social disabilities that hinder their everyday lives in a society that doesn't accommodate their higher needs. 

Disclaimer, this wasn't actually posted on tiktok, I just used it as the tool to put the videos together. 

Collaborative Community

   My project was a combination of a “poster” or, moreso a sign, and an interaction. The issue I focused on was the lack of accurate information and visibility regarding the neurodivergent community. A lot of people don't even know what the word neurodivergent means, let alone the diagnostic criteria for people with autism, adhd, dyslexia and so on. Harmful stereotypes have run rampant due to years of medical sexism, lack of diverse sample sizes during studies, inaccurate depictions through film, and generalizations made by everyday people. The stereotypes cycle, leading to ill informed ideas regarding people with neurodivergent behaviors and lack of representation and knowledge.

“While Artistic Activism is particularly well suited for the contemporary moment, throughout history the most effective civic actors have married the arts with campaigns for social change, using aesthetic approaches to provide a critical perspective on the world as it is and imagine the world as it could be.”

• WHY ARTISTIC ACTIVISM? - Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert

  Through art activism, it is possible to inspire social change and give people perspective, a lense in which they can see and think about the world around them. While I usually prefer to draw digitally, I allowed myself to work traditionally despite it being more prone to irreversible flaw. I felt it would be a more human touch than if I made it digitally and printed it out instead. I drew a mini poster, taking only one sheet of paper, asking what you (whoever viewing) know about the neurodivergent community. I used the infinity sign rather than something like a puzzle piece which implies there's something missing in the human experience on the spectrum. The rainbow also has potential to bring attention to the paper, as the color stands out against the white sheet. The sign is simple but I also surrounded it with sheets of blank paper and pencils, allowing a community of people to demonstrate what they do or don't know about their community, their perspectives and experiences. The audience had the choice of tools, a variety of colors they could use, any amount of paper they want. If I wanted to, I could make an infographic alongside it with factual information and good examples of representation but that wouldn't really allow the same amount of self reflection and questioning of other perspectives being written down or discussed. This served as an interactive installation in which people participate in a sort of social experimental setting, allowing them to put into perspective what they know and why they have these ideas. I was lightly inspired by performance art as the idea of In Visibility focuses on not only the sign but the interaction from the audience. I gave them the tools and the question to look inwards and to interact outward. Similarly to Yoko Ono, I used this as a bit of a social experiment or "social critique", questioning why people know or don't know about this aspect of diversity. While I am not the one being directly written on, myself and other neurodivergent people can read the words being put down and understand how we are viewed. The perspectives of other people does matter, as it impacts treatment, respect, and accommodating behaviors.

"Of course, something might happen in the heart and mind of an individual, and if I didn’t believe in that then I wouldn’t do the work that I do. It’s the most profound thing about art, period. But it can be hard to say something is really political art if nothing really changed externally in the world."

• The 25 Most Influential Works of American Protest Art Since World War II, The New York Times Style Magazine, Rujeko Hockney

In one setting, I sat close by and listened to people talk about stereotypes regarding their diagnoses and others watch, saying they don't know anything or very little about what being neurodivergent. While I did not force anyone to educate themselves on neurodiversity, I hope bringing it to their attention and challenging them causes them to think for even just a couple of minutes. I understand the awkwardness of not understanding a topic, especially a topic that involves diversity and mental health I'm sure would be uncomfortable for passerby's. But sitting with that discomfort and acknowledging you might only know misconceptions or uninformed beliefs can allow you to clarify for yourself. It's also okay if no one has anything to say, I just internally question why. I recall one student writing down their perception of what they believed to be BPD and schizophrenia, in reference to their sister I believe, to which another student said "that's not schizophrenia, my mother has it". The other student replied awkwardly yet a bit unsure, "wellll she has something". So it's possible the student's sibling wasn't diagnosed but there's an assumption of a mental illness due to negative behaviors. Of course, I won't go too much into it, but it was interesting to see these interactions play out and watch people think about how they respond. I am not judging anyone or their experiences directly. It isn't about judgment, but rather about understanding ABOUT our understanding of other people. No two people are the same, but different people have uniquely diverse struggles. 

   After this, I left it in the hallway in case anyone who didn't want to be recognized could put whatever they felt. The first day harbored the most results, with some anonymous and in person responses, as the second day I put it out there weren't many people around I guess. Well I couldn't really find an example that focuses on neurodiversity in the projects we discussed, I wanted to be the one to discuss it. During my research I actually found an article which ironically used a similar concept in title to my own project. While we didn't discuss it in this class, I'll link it below. The article revolves around Kai Syng Tan’s wonderful patterns, colors, and tapestries which are themed around her experience as an Asian woman with ADHD. Her work celebrates diversity and explores going past the boundaries of normality. Her Magic Carpet allows people to interact with the artwork, sit on it and explore the colors and patterns, as it isn't pinned to the wall and completely separate from them. They can delve into the artwork and experience it wholeheartedly. I was happy to find this work, as I enjoyed reading about Tan’s perspectives and her lovely understanding of art. 

• https://www.guggenheim.org/articles/checklist/making-the-invisible-visible-embracing-neurodivergent-perspectives-through-art

   Once again, my project is about internalizations being brought out. To bring a community in to think about another community is to bring them together. The lack of information and education on neurodiversity leads to so much harm, as people are misdiagnosed, not given accommodations, infantilized, misrepresented and even deemed as dangerous. People assigned female at birth especially suffer these consequences and are not believed of their struggles as they are socialized to be higher masking. I hope we can truthfully recognize people as diverse and still equally as deserving of respect.