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Read moreCatherine Barnes
Drums and Comedy
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SDVoyager Magazine Interview
I was featured in SD Voyager magazine! Here’s a link to the interview along with a few additional thoughts.
Read morePlanners
As an autistic/ADHD double winner, organizing and planning is a challenge for me. I found that paper planners help. What helps YOU stay organized?
Read moreOn the Spectrum
Mother and son performers Blaize and Marybeth Berry and director Tyrie K. Rowell told me all about the emotional creation process for their 2022 San Diego Fringe show “On the Spectrum.”
Read moreOn Grief, Part 2
I’ve got a lot on my plate – but the biggest portion is grieving the end of my eight years as a middle school teacher. How can I grieve in a healthy way in a society that doesn’t teach us to do that? Here’s what I’m trying out.
Read moreAn Autistic Tale of Learning to Sail
Click here for audio only. I made this video over a month ago, and I’ve been so exhausted and burnt out that I haven’t gotten around to posting it until now, but I think it’s appropriate, because April is that
Read moreDon’t Invite Me to Your Show Talkback; Here’s Why
While watching a lot of streaming solo theater during the pandemic, I noticed that I have intense reactions to certain shows. I thought this might be a result of online viewing, but then I remembered that reactions like this started for me in high school with “Oedipus Rex.” If you’re too emotional to attend a talkback, how do YOU handle a strong reaction to a show?
Read moreWhat I Like About 12 Step Programs
I’ve spent the past few videos ranting about the aspects of 12 Step Programs that I don’t care for. Here are some of the things that have kept me coming back for the past 10 years…especially as a neurodivergent person. What aspects of the program work for YOU?
Read moreSelf-Will vs. “God’s” Will
I have always struggled with the insistence in 12 Step Programs that “God’s will” is good and “self-will” is bad. At the same time, I’m grateful for having learned to surrender the things I can’t control. How do YOU decide whether to push through a challenge or let it go?
Read moreIn Defense of Black and White Thinking
Many neurodivergent folks struggle with “black and white thinking,” or deciding that a situation must be ALL GOOD or ALL BAD. I argue that labeling this type of thinking a “cognitive distortion” might actually be an ableist construct. Have YOU ever experienced an upside to literal “black and white” thinking, or do you agree that it’s always a problem?
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