Rachel

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I found out I was neurodivergent a couple of years ago and it made sense of a lot of things, like how calming I find walking.

I can get overwhelmed with thoughts if I’m sitting still.

I remember encountering the phrase ‘sit with an emotion’ and thinking this was impossible. But I realised that I can go for a walk with an emotion.

Being able to focus on putting one foot after the other gives my brain space to rest a bit.

I can zone out or I can tune in to the details around me, whether it is the patterns made by leaves against the sky or toadflax creeping across someone’s front yard.

I love being able to walk out of my front door in the centre of Brighton and be in the South Downs within the hour.

Like many people I have struggled to feel comfortable in my body.

Being autistic but not knowing this made it harder for me to feel connected to the way I look or feel.

Through my life, at times I would instinctively respond to situations in ways that other people interpreted as odd or even unreasonable.

Learning more about neurodiversity has made me appreciate that I am not being unreasonable to need adjustments like plenty of time to myself so I can cope with – and enjoy – socialising. 

It has made me value more the connection I feel with natural and built environments –

– and the joy I take in plants of all sizes from huge oak trees to tiny wildflowers growing out of cracks in concrete.

The pictures capture me at a point in time when I have put down roots and feel myself to be part of local communities and places, but there is much still to explore.

Rachel’s offering

I chose the boots as my object/offering because they have taken me all around Brighton and the surrounding area since I moved here six months ago. I love how comfortable they are and their rainbow laces.

Join in by contacting me via my contacts page.