My Special Interest: Learning, Growing, and Grounding Through Creativity

Posted on April 30, 2026

For Autism Awareness Month, ASDNext invited bloggers to unite in sharing their personal “special interests” and what those topics mean to them. If I am being honest, this was one of the most challenging blog topics to feel excited about. Mainly because when I think of “special interest,” I think of something incredibly niche, suffocatingly embraced, and thoroughly researched by my peers. Some Autistic folks even venture into full-on expertise territory when it comes to their special interests. My focus is broad and more of an umbrella category than a specialized subject; my special interest is “arts and crafts.”

While I sometimes feel the breadth of the subject is a bit of a cop-out, I also imagine my never-ending love for “arts and crafts,” like the iconic tree in the children’s classic, “The Giving Tree.” A special interest closer to a towering tree of creative play, sprouting many branches that reach out to give me a safe place to regulate, celebrate, and ground myself as I grow and change in each season of life. One month, I could be learning to paint a 3D-printed miniature version of my dog, with all the exact markings and colors. The next month, YAS-ifying the neighborhood fishing notices with new, laminated, full-color, friendly versions hanging just below the government-issued ones. Learning, engaging, and executing artistic projects always have my extreme focus. I can engage deeply in crafty ventures, losing a complete sense of time and self-awareness, and elegantly navigating projects like a conductor of a high-brow orchestra (aka achieving flow state).

Aside from dedicating a sizable share of my free time to arts and crafts, when I consider my next move in life, I often lean towards the most creative option. My first retail job was at Michaels Arts & Crafts. When deciding to continue my education, I chose the creative path of graphic design. I’ve worked on freelance design and illustration gigs, full-time news media and publishing jobs, and contributed content for Adobe, THE large, well-known graphic design software powerhouse. Even my ASDNext blog posts always seem to come back to me humble-bragging about creative pursuits, fond crafty memories, tools, and even the joy I take in organizing my materials.

Many of my relationships in life also revolve around artistic and crafty communities. The art community (especially online) has always felt like home. Getting out of my own way when it comes to self-judgment about skill level and the speed at which I produce pieces has been (and sometimes still is) the hardest habit to break when it comes to authentically presenting myself among fellow creatives. Many artists are excited and happy to cheer each other on, swap tips, organize group projects, and much more with cooperative, down-to-earth, like-minded artsy folks. I am astounded and blessed to know I have art pals that span numerous time zones and geographic areas. Outside of artist communities, most people who know me associate me with being creative.

Arts and crafts give me a sense of identity and a way to express myself when words fail me. Don’t let these blogs fool you, verbally, I am no wordsmith. I talk softly and slowly. I stumble through small talk. But ask me about a piece of clothing I made myself? Well, now you’ve accidentally subscribed to my 1-hour podcast on how I made it and why I love it, too. Don’t ask me to fix your zippers or hem your pants, though, I am an ARTIST, not some mending robot. I refill my cup by sourcing fabric, patterns, and letting my sewing machine sing them into something new (not repairing well-loved mementos of associates, just being real here). I am not an expert in this special interest, but it holds a special place in my heart. I return to it repeatedly, I grow through it, I entertain myself with it, and I engage so deeply that I completely lose track of time. Every month is a new opportunity to delve into a completely different project. Every day is an open playground to doodle something silly in my sketchpad. Every weekend is a chance to create a new outfit for Monday morning. Arts and crafts are a core fascination that tends to evolve with me. My special interest may not look like my Autistic peers’ with its broad branches, but those branches comfort, support, and grow with me, like my own personal “Giving Tree.”