“Silly Guy” and the Neurodivergent True Self
Session Title
Design Expo 4
Faculty Mentor
Jason Tselentis, M.F.A.| Elizabeth Dulemba, Ph.D.
College
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department
Design
Abstract
Being one’s true self, one without the need to mask or perform as someone else, is a belief I hold strongly. While “being yourself” is one of the most fundamental life lessons someone can learn, sometimes being yourself as someone with autism is something that society never wants from you. Strong fixations, stimming, and oversharing can make neurotypical people uncomfortable, and might make them take action to “cure” people whose brains just work differently. The way our modern world was organized, there is no place for neurodivergent people to truly and authentically be themselves in a professional environment. “Silly Guy” is a piece to push against the fold about presenting something very “unprofessional” professionally, and about how I express my neurodivergence, by “re-introducing” people to my sense of humor and creative style without feeling ashamed to do so, all while encouraging others in a similar book to do the same.
Course Assignment
VCOM 486 and VCOM 487 – Tselentis
Previously Presented/Performed?
Winthrop University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023.
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
“Silly Guy” and the Neurodivergent True Self
Being one’s true self, one without the need to mask or perform as someone else, is a belief I hold strongly. While “being yourself” is one of the most fundamental life lessons someone can learn, sometimes being yourself as someone with autism is something that society never wants from you. Strong fixations, stimming, and oversharing can make neurotypical people uncomfortable, and might make them take action to “cure” people whose brains just work differently. The way our modern world was organized, there is no place for neurodivergent people to truly and authentically be themselves in a professional environment. “Silly Guy” is a piece to push against the fold about presenting something very “unprofessional” professionally, and about how I express my neurodivergence, by “re-introducing” people to my sense of humor and creative style without feeling ashamed to do so, all while encouraging others in a similar book to do the same.
