Autistic/Artistic Nate



Hey, I’m Nate Boyd.



I’ve always seen the world in kind of a unique way. Psychologists say I’m “autistic”, but I think of myself as “artistic.” Artists like me never fit into other peoples’idea of “normal.”



It really sucked not fitting in when I was in school. I usually felt like an outsider. It hurt.



It took a while, but now I’m okay being just the way I am. “Normal” is over-rated if you ask me. I still sometimes struggle with depression and anxiety, but everyone has issues, right? I have friends and family who love me just the way I am.



I get stressed out if I’m around people too much, so I like to spend most of my time by myself. I love playing video games, and I’m pretty good at it. Sometimes I’ll stay up all night playing with people on the internet from around the world. You meet some really interesting people this way.



I like movies, especially when they’re funny, full of action or scary. My favorite TV shows are “24” and “Lost.”



I’m never really alone because I have an adorable cat named “Cuddles.” She is so cute! She loves to play with me and crawl up on my lap or shoulders when I’m playing video games or watching T.V. Me and “Cuddles” are family. Cuddles needs me. I think autistic people like animals so much because they never judge us.



I also spend a lot of time creating what I like to call my “autistic/artistic creatures.” Like other people with autism, I sometimes find communicating with words frustrating. I sometimes get angry because people can’t understand what I’m trying to say. People don’t get my sense of humor, I try to joke about stuff and people don’t get it. But expressing myself through art comes really easy. Sharing my art and talking about autism I feel like I’m taking off my mask.



You can see a little bit of me in each of my autistic/artistic creations. Each is completely unique and fun to make. Like me, my creatures don’t fit into anyone else’s category of “normal.” Like me, they are just what they are. They make me laugh.



My autistic/artistic creatures teach us that it doesn’t matter whether you fit into anyone else’s idea of “normal.” We’re all unique.