A Creative Frenzy is a weekly illustrated newsletter for neurodivergent creatives and the people that love them.
Articles range from interviews with well known artists, writers, and experts to humorous first person essays to short creative writing pieces. All exploring what it means to thrive and create in a neurotypical world.
Seeing Pink Skies with Marloes De Vries
Interview with Netherlands based artist and writer Marloes De Vries .
“I made a decision: I was going to do something with drawing when I grew up. I dreamed of becoming a cartoonist or an architect. Anything that meant I could design my own little world.
Sometimes I think about that little girl. I’d love to sit with her, comfort her and tell her that the bullying was never about her, it was always about the bully. I’d tell her that the world isn’t always fair, but that she should always, always listen to her own voice.”
“A few years ago, I received an email from a woman in her eighties. She wrote to tell me that, thanks to my paintings and photographs, she’d finally noticed the pink skies from her window and when she walked outside.
She was nearing the end of her life, and had never seen them before, and she was grateful that she still had the chance.”
Plie, Passé, Prozac
Visual Essay: Balancing Meds in Two Acts
“I’ve taken to either flipping the bottles over or stacking them after my daily allotment, a simple change to spark “Oh yeah, I did that” upon a second glance.
Sure, I could get a neatly segmented day-of-the-week pillbox, but I much prefer watching my little bottles perform acro-yoga across the bathroom counter.”
Aliyah O’Brien Wants You to Yell Pickle!
Interview with actress, podcast host, and somatic coach Aliyah O’Brien.
“When our nervous systems are dysregulated—which is common for many of us—we’re more likely to feel anxious, overwhelmed, procrastinate, get stuck in racing thoughts. And all of that blocks our creative flow.
But when our nervous systems are regulated, we feel safe and relaxed in our bodies. We’re present. We’re open to possibilities. Creative flow comes through more easily. We’re excited about our work. And most importantly, we trust ourselves. We can hear our inner voice clearly—we’re not just trying to survive.”
“What’s interesting with ADHD is that the usual tools—like meditation or breathing—sometimes don’t cut it. There’s just too much energy that needs to move first.
Breathing with sound helps me, vocal breathing, sighs, groans. And movement that’s not “pretty”—not “dancer dancing”—but weird, wild, let-it-out dancing.
The other practice I use a lot in coaching is making space for the feeling. We often think we need to get away from big emotions. But what if instead, we let it take up space? Breathe into it. Let it fill the whole room. Let the excitement or nerves be as huge as it wants to be.”
To All The (Neurotypical) Girls I’ve Loved Before
Editorial piece exploring female friendships from the neurodivergent experience.
“For the last decade, I simply haven’t run in the same circles as women who make polite conversation, who can simultaneously be on time and unhurried. Women who have had the same career since graduation, the same friends since grade school, the same steady life plan.
I’d even forgotten the discomfort of trying to be normal until I found myself at school pick-up, racking my brain to remember if I’d already asked a group of fellow moms about their summer plans.”
“In lieu of of therapy or medication, I turned to best friends. Three best friends, to be precise, one after another. Girls with unlimited social opportunities but who chose to spend most of their time with me. As the good song goes:
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita's all I need
The Monica years covered 4th grade through middle school, after which she dumped me in a devastating blow the summer before freshman year. Her new friend group was less into summoning spirits a la The Craft with pentagrams from Hot Topic and more into actual crafting or worse, team sports.”
