Accepting Weakness and Inability as an Autistic Creative

Day in and day out, I have to conduct a sense of professionalism as an autistic individual, especially when I represent myself as an individual creator. Being transparent and honest, marketing myself has been a massive weak point in my career. I am aware of my strengths and talents, but to boast and brag about my accomplishments to employers and clients has never been my primary cup of tea.

I've mentioned this in my article, but it's important to me to acknowledge what I don't know, rather than what I do know. Sometimes, this can be superseded with words such as "I can't" or "I'm unable". I've been told that these words can invoke negative emotions; however, I tend to disagree wholeheartedly!

Saying "I can't" isn't rejecting your potential, in my eyes, but is more a way to establish your limitations. The way people say those two words showcase weakness has always been baffling to me, solely because those same people are equating weakness with vulnerability. Being vulnerable is not being weak, and saying "I can't" or "I'm unable" shows one's vulnerability to a degree most mid 20s like myself wouldn't be able to comfortably establish.

That being said, saying "I can't" doesn't equate to "I won't". In my personal experience, there are certain tasks I can't do as an autistic individual, such as public speaking and outright verbal communication. I have established my boundary of me not being able to do something, but that doesn't mean I will never do something or I won't do it.

An example:

Speaking for long periods for meetings or in front of executives is something I can't do on my own. Since I know I can't do this task on my own, I find ways to make sure I can establish what I can do. I can't speak for long periods, but I can read. I can write down my coherent thoughts, rewrite it multiple times, and take my time to reiterate my points in front of executives. I learn my limitations and either get better at them or work around the limitations.

Saying you can't do something is probably one of the strongest actions anyone can do, because it establishes your limits and makes oneself aware of their vulnerability. Plus, it's better to establish what you can't do, so others can help you out. "I can't" doesn't mean "I won't", and I wish a lot more people my age would establish that!

(if you haven't read the article, please do so:

https://www.roborebellion.studio/roboblog/blog-post1-sociology-and-autism)