This Autism Acceptance Week, we spoke to 20-year-old Mary Nelson, who lives in East Sussex and was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum when she was 17. Mary has used her love of art to create illustrations to boost her mental health and inspire others to feel better about themselves. Mary has some great messages for the people we care for and support at Aspens who may be experiencing a similar journey to her own, “if you feel things are getting out of your depth and you can’t cope, reach out for help, because you are important”, says Mary.   

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

"I’m Mary. I live in East Sussex with my family, dog and pet tortoise. I was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum at the age of 17, but I struggled with my mental health for many years before this. On a personal level, I love hikes, going to the gym, watching health-related documentaries and baking. I’m really interested in psychology and mental health, which I think majorly comes from my own experiences. Illustrating is my passion though and my main hobby - I draw to help my mental health and have started up my own mini-business in my free-time to inspire others!"

What is the inspiration behind your illustrations?

"My illustrations are primarily inspired by my own experiences; about life as a neurodivergent person in a neurotypical world, real life scenarios that I’ve experienced. Many of my illustrations are self-reflective, involving fictional characters that resemble different emotions. My illustrations are inspired by my wish to give others practical advice to follow so they can feel better about themselves and their journey."

What message do your illustrations show? 

"There are a few messages I want to show with my illustrations. My drawings started as a communication tool to explain what I was experiencing when I couldn’t explain with words to professionals, and family and friends. Now, I hope my illustrations show these messages to help other people who may be having a similar experience to me.

The main message of my illustrations is that no one is alone and no matter how dark things get there’s always hope. I really hope my illustrations also help those who have not experienced mental illness or autism spectrum conditions to be more empathetic and better able to help us having understood our needs."

You are worthy of love and friendship and affection; in whatever form it displays itself. Find places to be you, expressing yourself with music, art or illustration are things that I find a great help, or even just chatting with people who are close to you.

How have your illustrations helped you overcome your difficulties?

"I’ve found that using my illustrations as a creative outlet has really helped me improve my mental health as they have provided me with a way to communicate to myself and others. I have definitely found that illustrating specific situations as they arise helps me to process things that have happened. I’ve used my illustrations to demonstrate a light-hearted spin on things which really helps. I find that for me, my illustrations motivate me to keep overcoming challenges I have as they drive me to set new goals and move forward!"

What are your future goals?

"I currently work as an optical assistant but I’ve always wanted to work in healthcare. I am going through the UCAS process to apply for a course for mental health nursing which I hope to start next year. I’m so excited to get to learn in a hands-on and interactive way.

Ultimately, I want to qualify as a mental health nurse and have the opportunity to help others in the way my life has been helped by mental health nurses. I have not decided where I see myself in the profession but am looking forward to placements to get to try out different specialities.

Other than that, I would also like to see my small corner of the internet grow and grow. I want to see how far I can go with my illustrations and how many people they can touch!

What advice do you have for children and young people experiencing a similar journey to you?

Be yourself, tell the truth, follow your interests and be authentically you.

Try not to worry about the future and about what other people think of you. You don’t have to be perfect, do your best but you don’t have to be the best to be valid.

You are worthy of love and friendship and affection; in whatever form it displays itself. Find places to be you, expressing yourself with music, art or illustration are things that I find a great help, or even just chatting with people who are close to you.

My final piece of advice is that if you feel things are getting out of your depth and you can’t cope, reach out to for help, because you are important!"

Mary’s illustrations are on Instagram: @recovery_doodles, Etsy: Recoverydoodles, and Amazon: Kindle

For further information on Aspens Children’s Services contact: [email protected] 

For further information on Family and Specialist Support services contact: [email protected]