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Claiming my neurodivergent identity

  • Series
9 artworks set out on a 3 by 3 grid against a black background. Each hand drawn artwork, created with watercolour and ink, presents an intricate world full of characters, words, symbolism and colourful objects. These worlds are connected together by tentacle-like forms which join one artwork to its neighbour.
Claiming my neurodivergent identity. © Carrie Ravenscroft.

Carrie Ravenscroft is an artist and illustrator whose art has always been closely connected to her mental health. For years she used art to help her cope with what she saw as her “failures”. As she put it:

“I was born with a rotten, mouldy brain incapable of learning efficiently. The humiliation of feeling I was wrong forced me to get creative.”

It wasn’t until Carrie’s ADHD* was confirmed through clinical tests in her early 30s that she discovered “the liberating power of a diagnosis”. After feeling like an outsider with problems for years, she found a new identity as one neurodivergent woman among many.

In these five films, Carrie reflects on a series of artworks that she created to help her map and process her journey. Part therapy, part memoir, these detailed and intricate works provided a lifeline during Covid lockdowns, sublimating her pain into paint and helping her work through difficult conversations.

Dive into a world of neurodivergent experiences with Carrie as your guide.

*Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect behaviour.