Making friends online

Welcome, and hello,

I've a sneaky feeling Kate Kestrel is aware of Lucy Lapwing, being a nature person - unless you just happen to a Kestrel fanatic.
I'm a countryside person, need green, and nature - a decades long interest.  Good to have Chris Packham has the chief autistic naturalist, top bloke (I should say), inspirational in both areas.

A professional artist I take it?  What medium do you artist in?  I've only messed around with watercolour and acrylic painting, my Uncle is an amazing watercolour artist but I'm not that talented, its just an interest and good for the brain.

Had various interests over the years, some very much special interests - but burnout kicked in and interests don't mean much now.  Still into computers and electronics, electronic music fan and dabble with making such but challenging.

I don't really watch much TV, usually quirky comedies and nature/walk progs, and football or F1 races.

Self-development is another interest - and unfortunately, much to work on :/  

Yes - I’d say that I need nature too - need is the right word. So many times when I’m really struggling to cope with life it’s getting out into nature that helps me. Like you I’m currently experiencing autistic burnout - my son is too. We are only just managing to survive at the moment - things have got overwhelming for us due to various life events and the pandemic. Like you the autistic burnout has meant that I’ve not been very productive of late - including with my art. I’m finding it difficult to concentrate and focus on things at the moment due to a lot of anxiety.  In the past though I’ve produced a lot of work and sold lots of paintings - I’m hoping to get back to doing that again when I’m feeling less mentally exhausted.
I have loads of respect for Chris Packham too - I’ve been so shocked at all the harassment he’s experienced for basically just caring about animals and protecting the countryside. 
I’m clueless with computers and electronic stuff, What kind of electronic music do you like? 
The self- development thing - I also try to work on this. I find life very difficult and try to understand why that  is and how I can try to cope better. I’m not doing great at the moment though and am running out of ideas. The things I usually rely on to ‘centre’ myself and keep me contented and calm (like my painting) aren’t really working at the moment as I’m so stressed all the time. Hopefully things will improve soon. 
What comedy programmes do you like? 

Yes - I’d say that I need nature too - need is the right word. So many times when I’m really struggling to cope with life it’s getting out into nature that helps me. Like you I’m currently experiencing autistic burnout - my son is too. We are only just managing to survive at the moment - things have got overwhelming for us due to various life events and the pandemic. Like you the autistic burnout has meant that I’ve not been very productive of late - including with my art. I’m finding it difficult to concentrate and focus on things at the moment due to a lot of anxiety.  In the past though I’ve produced a lot of work and sold lots of paintings - I’m hoping to get back to doing that again when I’m feeling less mentally exhausted.
I have loads of respect for Chris Packham too - I’ve been so shocked at all the harassment he’s experienced for basically just caring about animals and protecting the countryside. 
I’m clueless with computers and electronic stuff, What kind of electronic music do you like? 
The self- development thing - I also try to work on this. I find life very difficult and try to understand why that  is and how I can try to cope better. I’m not doing great at the moment though and am running out of ideas. The things I usually rely on to ‘centre’ myself and keep me contented and calm (like my painting) aren’t really working at the moment as I’m so stressed all the time. Hopefully things will improve soon. 
What comedy programmes do you like? 

I really like that idea about ‘if someone came round your house…’ etc - that’s a good way to look at it. In Buddhism they teach that  kindness is hugely important and that includes being kind to yourself. Also your idea creates some distance between the person worrying and their worrying thoughts - rather than being completely overwhelmed by them and immersed in them. 
I hope your drawing does well. I love buying new art materials. I think you’re right that creative projects can be all sorts of things - even clearing up your house and tidying and rearranging things is a creative project. I might do some writing as you suggest - I have a lovely new Paperblanks notebook that I could use. 
I love The Detectorists too - i just sort of drift away when I’m watching it into a lovely feeling of contentment, I’d watch anything with Toby Jones in as I think he’s amazing. We once went to see him reading John Clare poems at an event in Oxford and he had the whole audience completely transfixed. I like ‘Ghosts’ too because it’s gentle and kind of innocent and old fashioned in a way. I also like older Alan Partridge series - and Motherland. I also love Reeves and Mortimer. Bob Mortimer’s autobiography is really good - I had no idea he’d suffered so much with depression and social anxiety. So surprising. 

Autism burnout is not really surprising considering that life is challenging for anyone as it is, and then you  autism impacts.  Stress and anxiety alone is not good for our brains and bodies.

You can't control life, or whats happening in the world, but you can work on controlling how you think about these things.  Its not what happens, its how we react.

Its important to have breaks from thoughts and worries - if someone you knew came around to chat and was reeling off bad thoughts and worries for ages, you probably would want to reassure then, help them feel better, think better about things.  So, you can reassure yourself, be your own life coach.

Chris Packham is a great example, he is attacked in many ways for his drive to protect wildlife, and yet he bounces it all off and carries on.  It really helps to move from 'i am surviving' and towards 'i am coping'.

I like different kinds of electronic music but favourite is trance and similar - during lockdown I got into deep house (and melodic house) which is slower and calmer and that turned out to be good for my brain.  Music helps me think less, I start analysing the notes and patterns and layers, how they put the track together, its good.  What music are you into?

Shame the burnout is affecting your art, because doing creative things is good for the brain, maybe for now just write down or sketch ideas that come to you, or work on something for short periods now and then.  Not art, but I decorated the hallway last year it bits and pieces, as and when I felt I could do it.

I'm going to order some sketching pencils because painting requires more effort, mixing the right colours and applying it carefully and in the right order etc., so for now I can just sketch for fun/therapy or prepare something bigger that I can put watercolours when feeling more like doing that.

The last comedy series I really enjoyed was 'Dont forget the driver' which was following the life of a coach driver, from the dullness of everyday life to comical and ridiculous things that life that throw up.  Before that, 'The Detectorists' also with Toby Jones, he's great. Its similar in that there is dullness of normal life but the eternal hope of finding buried treasure and be rich and sorted in life.

Things can improve, but you can also improve things.