What Are Your Strengths?

To have a successful creative career you need to build on your strengths.

Is that hollow laughter I hear at the back there? Is your crappy judgemental inner voice telling you that you don't have any strengths? That you're just a big mess? 

Most Neurodivergent people have heard someone say that having a neurospicy brain is like having a superpower. And haven't we all rolled our eyes or gritted our teeth at that?

It's not a superpower being autistic or dealing with attention deficit or dyslexia, or bi-polar or any other neuro difference. But at the same time, your judgemental brain is an idiot. Because you do have strengths, many of them. If you can't see that, it's probably because you've spent most of your life trying to work and play the neurotypical way.

I wonder how many of these traits you can identify in yourself right now?

1. You are creative.

2. You think differently

3. You are a perfectionist

4. You hyperfocus

5. You have good long term memory

6. You think a lot

7. You are socially sensitive

8. You have a sense of humour

9. You like routine

10. You have sensory sensitivities

I bet you could identify a few huh?

So often we hear ourselves described simply as a collection of traits, listed like they are medical symptoms. It's true that we struggle, because the world wasn't built for us. It's also true that if you constantly hear yourself described as a list of traits or difficulties, that can become how you see yourself.

I'm not saying that you don't have struggles, but I also know that you are so much more than that.

So here's the same list as above, but with some juicy, gorgeous (and true!) adjectives added:

1. You are an intuitive creative thinker.

2. You are a skilful problem solver

3. You are brilliant at research

4. You have at least one subject area you know so much about, you could win Mastermind

5. You have an excellent memory

6. You are profoundly thoughtful

7. You have a strong sense of social justice and are deeply empathic

8. You have a dazzling sense of humour

9. You are uniquely innovative

10. You are intensely receptive to the world around you

Can you still recognise these traits within yourself? If you mentally ticked anything in list one, I guarantee you have the exact same numbered trait in list two. Does it feel uncomfortable thinking about yourself as intuitive, skilful or brilliant?

It's not what you are, it's how you think about what you are. Alone or with support, you can learn to recognise your personal strengths, which I promise you definitely have! Once you recognise and acknowledge them in yourself, they will support you every day.

Ten Neurodivergent Strengths and How They Can Actually Help Your Practice:

1. You are an intuitive creative thinker - you never run out of ideas

2. You are a skilful problem solver - which will always help you overcome issues and find workable solutions

3. You are brilliant at research - use it to explore new opportunities to sell or exhibit your work

4. You have at least one subject area you know so much about, you could win Mastermind - make art about it!

5. You have an excellent memory - your studio might be messy, but you know exactly where everything is.

6. You are profoundly thoughtful - your work is going to resonate with others

7. You have a strong sense of social justice and are deeply empathic - make art about it, the world needs social justice artists.

8. You have a dazzling sense of humour - people will love working with you when you brighten up their day so much

9. You are uniquely innovative - you are bringing something new and beautiful into the world

10. You are intensely receptive to the world around you - your art will be more nuanced and meaningful because of it.

If you feel that you need a bit of extra support to help recognise your strengths and figure out how to use them to build your art career let's chat.