Episode 15 - Art as a Path Home with Cindy Ingram
By Jessica Garrison
Our amazing guest, Cindy Ingram, is a passionate, creative, curious, compassionate, and authentic woman who has accomplished so much over the years. Her journey to becoming who she is today has not been an easy one with plenty of obstacles to overcome, but the work she has put in continues to reflect onto others and helps them become the best version of themselves.
Cindy has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, but she didn’t know it for the longest time. Without being able to understand why she was feeling or thinking a certain way, she felt lost. She would ask herself, “What’s wrong with me?” Having a neurodevelopmental condition isn’t anything to be embarrassed or ashamed of, but when we treat everyone as if they have the same brain, it can be like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Once Cindy was diagnosed, the pieces started coming together for her, and she could understand her way of thinking better. She’s a very inventive person, writing poetry and creating art, but the burnout she was experiencing kept her from doing what she loves.
At first, it felt like she was on her own in this journey, but she has since begun coaching and supporting others in living their life unapologetically. Cindy is able to now share her experience with the world, offer guidance, and serve as a reminder to people that they can still accomplish their dreams. With the right tools and information, anything is possible, and I’m thankful for people like Cindy who show us how living unapologetically is possible.
Cindy describes her 20s as painful, stumbling her way through life with only half of the information she should have had. A lot of people can be in denial of them or their children having autism, so it can go undiagnosed. It’s often seen as a negative trait to have, but the more we educate people and talk about the realities of having autism or ADHD, there will be less of a stigma around these words.
Being left to her own devices as a child meant it was even more difficult for Cindy growing up, trying to figure out why she was different from others and figuring out how to navigate this on her own. One of the main reasons for Cindy sharing her story is to bring more awareness and knowledge to these diagnoses. Even connecting with one person who is wondering why they think differently and changing their perspective for the better is a great achievement, but I know she’s reaching so many people with her art and her work.
You can visit Cindy’s website to check out her book, shop for her art, and sign up to work with her. You can also visit the CDC’s website for information and resources on both autism and ADHD. Remember, you are not alone in your thoughts and your journey. Just because it doesn’t make sense now doesn’t mean it never will.
Ways to Engage: Challenge yourself to consider a stereotype you hold or maybe have once held and think about the consequences of these stereotypes. Did you treat people differently? Judge them without knowing the whole story? Spread misinformation? We are all guilty of stereotyping at least once in our lives, even if we don’t realize it. It’s more important now than ever to recognize our past so we can work towards a better future.