Divergence

by Anastasia Novotny

Artist Statement:

Stream of conscious prose is the best way for me to communicate myself in a way that I don't disdain. I wanted to make the beginning seem more edited, with the fonts and colors, and somewhere along the way that effort falls away to simple dialogue, simple train of thought. Maybe not so simple to most. I think about all the things that I know about myself that could make me different from someone; music, job, school accommodations, self-image, anxiety, and more. I wanted to include more than one aspect of my neurodivergency, way more than adhd, than the effects of living with adhd. I think this piece can show that I have a lot to say, and all it takes is someone to ask, to be interested, to want to know about me and all the things that make me 'different.' But also it is important to me to articulate some of the struggles, and that a lot of it is interior, hidden from everyone else's opinion. Insecurities come with that rainbow infinity symbol, my 'different' mind makes me just as special as you are. No amount of teacher meetings and extra credit will teach me that at the end of the day it's my work to learn, grow and to be myself as well as I can be.