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(Links are always at the end of the post to help you stay focused)
April is National Autism and Neurodiversity Acceptance Month, and it's also National Card and Letter Writing Month.
This is an invitation to celebrate the multifaceted + nuanced neurodiverse community by shining a light on ways to nurture our creativity and amplify peace through stationery – for the child at heart and for children alike.
At Mohawkmomma Studio, we believe in the power of handwritten communication to cultivate sacred connection, regulate the nervous system, and prioritize peace for individuals of all neurological backgrounds.
Nestled in the depths of your brain, the Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts as a masterful groundskeeper for your cognitive landscape.
Integrated within the brainstem, thalamus, and cortex, the RAS is beautifully positioned to manage the flow of information through your neural pathways.
RAS is a devoted gardener
Imagine your brain as a vibrant, flourishing garden, with the RAS as its devoted gardener; it sifts through a kaleidoscope of information daily, determining what deserves your attention – akin to how a garden thrives under the discerning care of its tender.
The RAS governs which information blossoms into conscious awareness and which gets pruned away, like overgrowth in a garden.
By prioritizing what resonates with you in any given moment, the RAS nurtures focus, motivation, and emotional connection – the essential nutrients for your cognitive garden's growth.
By prioritizing what resonates with you in any given moment, the RAS nurtures focus, motivation, and emotional connection – the essential nutrients for your cognitive garden's growth.
RAS Reflection
Have you ever experienced a moment of drowsiness or disengagement, only to be suddenly invigorated by the arrival of a text, email, or even better, a heartfelt letter or card addressed just to you? This is what I call the RAS reawakening. Yep, it's a classic RAS-to-the-rescue moment, you betta thank your RAS.
Question: What will self-compassion look like for you as you prioritize incorporating stationery into your soul care rhythms, starting today?
Affirmation: As I prioritize incorporating stationery into my soul care rhythms, I affirm that I am honoring nurturing my soul's need for connection + creativity. Each handwritten note or doodle is a testament to the beauty of my individuality.
With each stroke of the pen, I am activating my Reticular Activating System (RAS) and awakening to the endless possibilities of peace + self-compassion. Today, I choose to embrace my neurology and cultivate peace within myself, one stationery-inspired moment at a time.
7 stationery-inspired ideas to help activate the RAS
Here are seven stationery-inspired ideas to help activate the RAS for neurodivergent adults and children alike. As a gift that keeps on givin', discover our "Not So Typical" collection, which celebrates the beauty of diverse minds + souls.
Customize Your Greeting Cards: In every gift set, we include greeting cards. The Mohawkmomma Studio Color + Journal™ Experience helps you personalize the cards with your unique touch to stimulate the RAS + boost fun.
Doodle Therapy: Engage your senses and stimulate creativity through the calming act of doodling on notepads, notebooks, postcards, etc.
Letter-Writing Swap: Establish a letter-writing exchange with a friend or family member to foster meaningful communication and promote a sense of connection.
Color-Coded Planning: Organize your thoughts and tasks using color-coded sticky notes, journals, or planners. Color-coding can help activate the RAS by organizing information in a visually appealing manner.
Mindfulness Journaling: Incorporate journaling into your life rhythms as a mindful practice to enhance self-compassion + neurological regulation.
Sensory Tape Art: Stimulate your senses + unleash your inner artist with textured decorative tapes. Create personalized designs on cards, envelopes, or notebooks, and activate the RAS through tactile engagement.
Storyboarding + moodboarding: Encourage creativity + narrative exploration by moodboarding or storyboarding ideas digitally, or even better, on large pieces of paper or sketchpads. This visual expression can stimulate the RAS + celebrate neurodivergent strengths.
While April may serve as a reminder, our commitment to soul care inclusivity, creative expression, and meaningful connections extends beyond any single month–offering endless invitations to audaciously nurture our sacred selves as we cultivate more childlike wonder.
Beyong paper, peace—together, we are ARTvocating for a more accepting, inclusive world, one note at a time.
Beyong paper, peace—together, we are ARTvocating for a more accepting, inclusive world, one note at a time.
Shop with soul
Shop The 'Not Typical' Gift Set Collection Coming Soon
I'm bringing awareness + bridging the conversation gap for neurodiverse, Black families, especially Black mommas who often go invisible + undersupported.
Until next time,
Scribble. Speak. From your soul.
Terms
*neurodiversity: describes the neurological diversity that exists with humanity: the different ways people process + think + experience life. Differences that are on a neurological (nervous system + brain), physical + emotional level.
*neurodivergent: describes the divergence from the "standard norm" or "standard typical" way of being +processing + thinking. This standard is an illusion. Chiiile, there is no norm. A neurodivergent brain is physically wired differently - there's a different amount of neurons to process information, which causes overstimulation.
Another thought: The systemization of marginalization creates an inequitable environment, which causes the greatest harm + disability, not the neurology. Think of having neurological wiring with various traits. What causes the disability is the system that accommodates + incentivizes folks that process a specific type of way.
Also Good to Know:
Kassiane Asasumasu is the autism rights activist who is credited for coining several terms related to the Neurodiversity Movement, including caregiver benevolence), neurodivergent, and neurodivergence.
Autism, Cerebral palsy, MS, mental health disabilities, seizures and more, diverge from being considered NT (neurotypical).
Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, first used the term neurodiversity in her sociology honors thesis in 1998.
March 18-25 #neurodiversitycelebrationweek
April 2 #worldautismawarenessday (April 2nd is also my birthday)
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