This episode takes a sharp look at the real stats behind the neurodivergent and disabled experience—burnout, bias, suicide, and the failure of systems that say they care.

We’re not looking for pity. We’re asking for people to actually pay attention.

📖 Full blog & transcript: https://aurtisticexpressions.com/blog/statistically-screwed-the-nd-amp-disabled-reality
🛒 Support the work: aurtisticexpressions.com/shop

Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com

We've all been there. 3 AM. Wide awake. Asking "why me?" on repeat. But what if that question is actually keeping you stuck?

In this raw and research-backed episode, we dive into:

• Why your brain gets addicted to "why me?" (and the neuroscience behind it)
• How victimhood can transform into identity—and even aggression
• The better questions that lead to post-traumatic growth
• A personal story about workplace bullying and the victim-to-bully pipeline

This is for anyone who's tired of living in the question but doesn't want to minimize their pain. Because you can honor what happened without being defined by it.

🔬 Research Referenced: • Default Mode Network & Rumination Studies
• Post-Traumatic Growth Research - Tedeschi & Calhoun
• Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema - Rumination vs. Processing
• Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone - Neuroplasticity Research
• Dr. Erica Boothby (Cornell) - Moral Licensing in Victimhood
• Journal of Applied Psychology - Victim-Aggressor Cycle
• Hostile Attribution Bias Studies
• Displaced Aggression Theory

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Your brain can rewire in as little as 5 days
• 50-60% of trauma survivors experience positive growth
• The questions you ask literally shape your neural pathways
• Victimhood isn't shameful, but staying stuck in it is costly

Instagram: aurtisticexpressions
Substack: https://substack.com/@thismightgetmessy
Medium: https://medium.com/@gal_81784
Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com

Want to be on the podcast (pretty please)?: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMUppJ0hHK4zNpRBuT5KXZUvLUOJGuy2GEC6kzEp1HyC4O2w/viewform?usp=sharing

🎉 Welcome to the official *AuRTistic Expressions* website launch episode! 🎉

Today, I'm walking you through everything you can find on our brand-new site — from free resources and creative challenges to full courses, coaching opportunities, and a growing community built for neurodivergent creators and allies.

Whether you're here to heal, to make messy art, or to find your people, AuRTistic Expressions is your space to do it.

💥 **Special Announcement: We're looking for 10–15 Ambassadors!** 💥
If you love what we're building and want to be part of it from the ground floor, I’m offering ONE YEAR of free membership in our *Color Outside The Lines* community — a $490 value!

As an Ambassador, you'll get:
- ✓ All community forums
- ✓ Weekly creative prompts & check-ins
- ✓ Accountability and challenges
- ✓ Weekly member hangouts
- ✓ Full access to all *AuRT Academy* courses
- ✓ Automatic access to every *new* course released
- ✓ Go-at-your-own-pace learning with forever access
- ✓ Monthly office hours with me, Gal!

Interested? Email me directly at **gal@aurtisticexpressions.com** and let's talk!

Thank you for being here. Thank you for dreaming with me.

Website: [www.aurtisticexpressions.com](http://www.aurtisticexpressions.com)
Instagram: [@aurtisticexpressions](https://www.instagram.com/aurtisticexpressions/)

This episode explores the profound impact of someone society might overlook. Kim, who lived with severe mental disabilities, lived a life of pure love and joy, and she shaped my understanding of human worth.
When policymakers and society measure value by productivity or economic contribution, we miss the deeper truth: every person serves a purpose transcending conventional metrics. Kim's life—filled with simple pleasures like church, dogs, and peanut butter sundaes—created ripples of compassion and understanding that continue even after her passing in 2022.
This deeply personal narrative challenges you to recognize that human worth isn't defined by ability or achievement, but by our capacity for connection and how we affect others. Through Kim's story, I invite you to see beyond limitations to the unique gifts each person brings to our world.
Whether you have a loved one with disabilities or simply need a reminder of what truly matters, this tribute intends to leave you reconsidering how you measure a life well-lived—and understanding that everyone, exactly as they are, serves a meaningful purpose.

www.aurtisticexpressions.com (launching 4.30.2025)
Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurtisticexpressions/

Want to chat? Be a guest! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMUppJ0hHK4zNpRBuT5KXZUvLUOJGuy2GEC6kzEp1HyC4O2w/viewform?usp=sharing

⚠️ Content warning: Discussion of workplace trauma, bullying, and mental health

They said bullying would end at graduation. They lied.

In this fierce episode of This Might Get Messy, Gal gets uncomfortably real about her two-year journey through workplace hell—and why adult bullies are just schoolyard tormentors with fancier titles and HR departments that protect them.

From being the fat kid watching classmates bounce out of lunch table seats to navigating a workplace where toxic leadership thrives on "plausible deniability,"

Gal breaks down:
-Why neurodivergent professionals become prime targets for professional bullies
-The gaslighting "family culture" that keeps abuse hidden in plain sight
-How HR's allegiance isn't to you (and never was)
-The moment you realize $$ was never worth your sanity—and choose dignity instead
-What REAL healing looks like after surviving sustained workplace trauma

"They didn't just let her get away with it—they handed her the matches and watched her burn it all down."

This conversation is raw, rage-filled, and ultimately empowering for anyone who's been made to feel "too much" in systems built on denial. Plus, Gal shares details about her neurodivergent-focused coaching program for professionals in burnout.

GET IN TOUCH:
www.aurtisticexpressions.com (launching 4.30.2025)
Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurtisticexpressions/

Come as you are. Stay if you're ready for some truth bombs. Because sometimes the only way out is through—and this might get messy.

Discover who you are at your core through the transformative process of defining your personal values. Join me as I share my journey of uncovering the principles that truly matter—beyond the masks we wear and the expectations we face. Whether you're navigating a late autism diagnosis like me or simply seeking greater clarity in life's decisions, this podcast offers a practical framework for creating your personal North Star. Learn how to identify, organize, and articulate the values that will guide your choices, align your actions with your deepest truths, and ultimately lead to a more intentional, fulfilling life. It's not about perfection—it's about finding your unique direction and taking small, daily steps toward becoming the person you aspire to be.

Defining Your Core Values: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z5PHaYwbz_APgLaNKg-9ASvcVWmtpDle/view?usp=sharing

www.aurtisticexpressions.com
Instagram: aurtisticexpressions
Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com

In this raw and grounded episode, I share science-backed tools for managing panic that actually work—not vague advice, but practical techniques developed through neuroscience, trauma therapy, and clinical practice.
When panic strikes—that tight-chested, overstimulated spiral—your body isn't broken. It's responding to perceived danger. This episode breaks down what's really happening in your nervous system during panic moments and offers immediate relief strategies that interrupt the pattern.
Learn five powerful in-the-moment tools including the physiological sigh, grounding techniques, and cold exposure methods that reset your nervous system when you're in crisis. Plus, discover six long-term strategies to build emotional resilience over time.
For neurodivergent individuals, trauma survivors, and anyone who struggles with overwhelm, this toolkit offers validation alongside practical solutions. The panic isn't weakness—it's your body speaking. These tools help you listen and respond with compassion.
Download the free Panic Reset Toolkit mentioned in this episode to keep these techniques at your fingertips whenever you need them.

Panic Toolkit: Toolkit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W_sAIuqPYMwTXHPYwd5vY7s-XYZ0Rbzf/view?usp=sharing
Pocket Reminders - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zygrvIdqfBJvq_2Ri6BebWiup8yhENzP/view?usp=sharing

www.aurtisticexpressions.com (launching 4.30.2025)
Instagram: @aurtisticexpressions

Words are hard—and not just because we forget them sometimes.

In this deeply personal episode, I open up about what it’s like to live with dyspraxia, executive dysfunction, and the silent, invisible struggle of speech that most people don’t see. This isn’t about shyness or stage fright. This is about the neurological lag between what I know and what I can say—and how exhausting, frustrating, and isolating that can be.

I share what speech difficulty actually feels like, how social media warps our idea of “good communication,” and why I believe art—messy, wordless, intuitive art—isn’t just an outlet, it’s a lifeline.

Whether you struggle with words, love someone who does, or just want to understand the truth behind the stumbles and silences, this episode is for you.

💬 Let’s unlearn the shame. Let’s make space for real communication—awkward pauses, misfires, and all.

Plus, I share some of my favorite creators, books, and free resources on neurodivergence, art therapy, and self-expression.

🎧 Listen now. And if it resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear: you are not broken. You just speak a different language—and that language matters.

🔗 Resources, art therapy freebies, and recommended links in the show notes.

My Links:

The Benefits of Art Therapy for Mental & Physical Wellbeing
Benefits & Impact of Art
Website: www.aurtisticexpressions.com (launching April 2025)

Email: gal@aurtisticexpressions.com

Instagram: @aurtisticexpressions

Etsy: AuRTByGal

YouTube:

Taylor Heaton- Mom on the Spectrum

Orion Kelly - That Autistic Guy

Meg - I'm Autistic, Now What?

Books:
Autism Feels...An Earthling's Guide - Orion Kelly
The Autistic Brain - Temple Grandin
Understanding Motor Behaviour in Developmental Coordination Disorder (Current Issues in Developmental Psychology)