Discovering You by Rae Sabine. I made this piece for someone who couldn’t attend my Thriving Autistically: Constructing Autistic Wellbeing workshop. One of the themes we explored was autistic identity, and this piece grew from that idea. I wanted to create something that celebrated the many qualities, values and ways of being that can be part of autistic identity: being aut-hentic, bold, direct, passionate, determined, fierce and a truth-teller. For many autistic people, well

October 8 is International Lesbian Day! International Lesbian Day is a day to celebrate lesbian love, visibility, community and connection. It recognises lesbian histories, cultures and identities, while celebrating the diversity of experiences within lesbian communities. It is also an opportunity to recognise the importance of visibility and creating spaces where lesbians can feel seen, valued and supported. There is no one way to be a lesbian, and lesbian communities includ

“I stated making this at Thriving Autistically’s Constructing Autistic Wellbeing with Rae and Linda. The puppet is me. The black bars are my prison, my mask. The hands are protecting my heart, my heart made with pipe cleaners, soft and exposed. I added extra pipe cleaners for sensory input to help me stim. The flowers and cat represent precious things in my life. The blue is water. I am drowning. I’m proud of this, it shows me. Mental health matters!“ This participant gave m

The Little Book of Autism FAQs is a warm and accessible resource for parents beginning conversations with their autistic child about autism. I particularly liked the format, with each question offering a short answer followed by a longer explanation. It makes the book easy to navigate and means readers can choose how much information they want to take in at the time. I also appreciated the book’s encouragement of open and positive conversations about being autistic. It suppor

There are only a few spots left for Constructing Autistic Wellbeing this Sunday (tomorrow) as part of Thriving Autistically 2026! It’s a relaxed online collage play date for Autistic adults to explore wellbeing through creativity, play and making. You don’t need to be “good at art” or have any previous collage experience. Just bring along some paper, images, scissors and/or whatever else you’d like to play with. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now’s the time to grab

October is LGBTQIA+ History Month, a time to remember the people, communities and movements that have shaped LGBTQIA+ history. It is a history of resistance, community, survival, creativity and change. It includes the people who challenged discrimination, created spaces for connection, cared for one another and advocated for greater rights and recognition. It is also a history that is still being made. LGBTQIA+ people continue to create, organise, advocate and support one ano

Whet might your Autistic self have needed more of as a child? More space to play, more permission to be wild, or more opportunities to follow your own interests? Linda from Neurokindred created this beautiful Inner Child collage as one of the prompts for our upcoming collage play date, Constructing Autistic Wellbeing, where we’ll make space to explore these ideas through colour, texture, images and play. Join us on Sunday 4 October 2026, 2:00pm–3:00pm AEDT. The event is free

I’m excited to be part of Thriving Autistically 2026 with Linda from Neurokindred ! My event is called Constructing Autistic Wellbeing, happening on Sunday 4 October 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm AEDT. This session is a collage play date and making space, where art becomes an accessible way to hold and express what is hard to put into words. Work with prompts like favourite colour, inner child, wildness, or your Autistic self, or follow your own. All events in Thriving Autistically ar

“We rolled the clay into a ball then we pushed my thumb into the clay and I pitched it to make a pot. Then next session I painted it to look like a flower.” This participant gave me permission to share #pinchpot #flowerpot #finemotorskills #claypot #creativeandexperientialtherapies

September is Suicide Prevention Month. This year’s theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” comes with a call to action: “Start the Conversation.” Suicide prevention is about more than crisis intervention. It is about creating cultures of care, connection and belonging where people can speak openly and ask for help without judgement. Starting the conversation can create space for understanding, hope and meaningful support. Suicide is complex, but it is preventable. Togethe

“Her physicality speaks for herself. She owes no words.” Repressed anger surfacing by Megan Fromholtz #creativeandexperientialtherapies #repressedanger #healingthroughart #expressiveart #speaksforherself

Some books entertain us while we are reading them, while others quietly stay with us long after we have finished the final page. Cannon by Lee Lai is one of those books for me. It is not a dramatic or loud story, but it draws readers into the emotional lives of its characters with honesty and care. I found myself continuing to reflect on its themes of family, identity, responsibility, and the complicated ways we care for one another. What stood out most was the way the book a

“The movement of the puppet made me feel like it was performing, which made me think of a harlequin. It felt good to be back exploring paper craft.” This participant gave me permission to share #papercraft #harlequin #puppettherapy #creativeandexperientialtherapies #puppet

International Week of Deaf People is 21–27 September 2026 This week we recognise and celebrate Deaf people, Deaf communities, Deaf culture and sign languages. The 2026 theme is Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights, highlighting that Deaf people have the same human rights as everyone else, including the right to language, education, healthcare, information, participation, culture and full inclusion in society. Accessibility is not an optional extra. Sign language access, commu

“This is a way to cut cords with something or someone that no longer brings you joy. It serves the emotional connection. The candles represent you and what you want to disconnect from. The cord is what ties you to the personal thing. You can add any herbs, oils, or crystals that are suitable for each personal ritual.” This participant gave me consent to share #cordcuttingritual #creativeandexperientialtherapies #ritualhealing #cuttingcords #cordcutting

There’s something mesmerising about watching slime move between hands, stretching and folding with its own slow rhythm. The sound of it pulling apart and settling back together is unexpectedly soothing. It’s a reminder of how simple sensory moments can hold our attention, calm the body, and offer a kind of quiet satisfaction. Nothing rushed, nothing perfect, just texture, colour, and sound doing exactly what they do. #slime #slimetherapy #neurodivergenttherapy #neuroaffirming

“When I try to breathe, I start to drown. It’s hard to put words to this piece. When I approached the paper, I truly just drew without any thought. I’ve fallen behind in uni and it’s an overwhelming, smothering kind of feeling and I feel as if this piece encapsulated that.” This participant gave me permission to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #artheals #emergentart #arthelps #creativetherapy

International Day of Peace is 21 September This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” invites us to think about peace not simply as the absence of conflict, but as something we actively create, nurture and protect. Peace is connected to safety, dignity, justice, belonging and having the freedom to live as yourself. It means creating environments where people can feel safe in their homes, relationships, communities and workplaces. Peace also ask

A huge thank you to the wonderfully talented Laura @paarmesancheese for this absolutely stunning portrait of Shōga! I love the incredible colours, bold lines, and the way they have captured his very Shōga-like expression and glorious fluff. It feels so full of personality and joy, and I absolutely adore it. Blissful Shōga by @paarmesancheese #shōga #shōgacat #catart #catportrait #therapistcat

I bought 365 Things to Do with LEGO Bricks expecting a simple activity book, but it ended up being far more creative and engaging than I anticipated. It is packed with ideas, games, challenges, and prompts that encourage you to think about LEGO in completely different ways while making use of pieces you likely already have at home. What I enjoyed most was how strongly the book focuses on imagination and open-ended play rather than perfection or exact instructions. The activit