Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Lorna Allan on the significance of diversity of thought
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 13 March 2023
Today marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which aims to bring about worldwide neurodiversity acceptance, equality and inclusion. We spoke with Lorna Allan, who co-produced the podcast Square Hole, to hear her thoughts as a neurodiverse graduate of UAL and the work she is doing to celebrate and change negative perceptions of neurodiverse people.
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
I am a freelance Art Director specialising in photography and graphic design. I started my career as a photographer but knew that I was curious to learn a new creative discipline, so I started with an evening class in graphic design at Westminster Adult Education Services. I enjoyed learning again and so I went on to study at LCC, starting with a PGCert and eventually going on to complete an MA, both in Graphic Design. I co-produced the podcast Square Hole, which explores neurodiversity, employment and the creative industries. I created this alongside Jhinuk Sarkar, who is an associate lecturer at Camberwell and studied at UAL.
I only found out that I was dyslexic when I started my MA. My lecturers suggested I get tested, which I did and turns out I am very dyslexic. I made use of the support services at UAL and they were an amazing help when writing my work. I actually really enjoy writing; it’s just a bit more labour intensive for me but growing up I’d been made to feel that I just wasn’t any good at it. I can’t praise them enough and I’m so grateful for the support I received.
After graduating, I did find it difficult to adjust to work as I felt that I didn’t fit into it somehow. I tried working at a photography school and an agency but in the end, I went back to freelancing as it allows me to be in control of my surroundings and working hours.
Can you talk us through how the idea for Square Hole came to be?
We didn’t set out to make a podcast to be honest. I had been working in kids fashion and was feeling inspired by a friend's son, who is autistic. I thought it would be great to create a visual story about being a neurodivergent kid. Whilst I explored this idea, a friend suggested that I meet her friend Jhinuk, who happened to also be dyslexic and passionate about celebrating neurodivergency. I met with Jhinuk, and we spent a day chatting and brainstorming ideas before deciding that we wanted to create a podcast together.
So, what started as a story spread across a couple of pages became a podcast. We decided to call it ‘Square Hole’ after the expression ‘A round peg in a square hole’, which is used to describe someone who doesn’t fit in. For us though, we want to educate and encourage people to understand that just because someone doesn’t ‘fit’ into the linear path set before them, doesn’t mean they aren’t as good as others. Initially we set out to record 4 episodes, but this quickly snowballed into 20!
What skills have you found most useful for creating your podcast?
The podcast has been a real learning curve for us both. Communication has been so important for us. Understanding how you like to work and how others do is so important, so that everyone can feel comfortable working to the best of their ability. We approached everything with such honesty and openness; that really helped with this. It felt very exposing to publicly declare my condition, but this was important to us; to be open and to tackle the stigma around it.
Why is it important that honest conversations take place around neurodiversity in an employment setting?
It’s so important because I think a lot of ‘masking’ goes on in the workplace. Pretending to be something that you’re not, and working in a way that doesn’t suit you, is so exhausting. I think it can also lead to people feeling that they must overcompensate as they don’t feel that they’re good enough. By having open and honest conversations around neurodiversity in the workplace, we can encourage an environment where reasonable adjustments can be made that help people fulfill their potential.
I think employers can be intimidated by the thought of having to introduce reasonable adjustments or change how they operate, but really, it’s often small things that can end up having a big impact on everyone, not just neurodivergent people.
It’s so important to have diversity of thought in all aspects of life and the workplace isn’t exempt from this. We should be embracing diverse thought, not cultivating the same ideas from the same type of people over and over again. Just because someone is the loudest in the room, does that mean they have the best ideas?
In the trailer for Square Hole, it’s mentioned that you want to explore stories that “inspire, encourage, enrage and elate.” Why is it important that we explore a broad range of stories, whether they be positive or challenging?
It’s important because we exist on a spectrum and that means that everyone’s story is different. We must challenge ourselves to confront things that we don’t always want to, whether that be about ourselves, our work or our society. Some stories will resonate with people more than others and that’s why it’s so important that we explore a diverse range. When you listen to someone and their story resonates with you, it feels amazing. You realise that others feel and experience things similarly to the way you do and you’re not alone.
Why is it important to challenge pre-existing narratives?
I think it’s important that we understand that not everyone fits into the same shape. A neurodivergent person might not be able to do something the same way that a neurotypical person does but that doesn’t mean they can’t also achieve great things.
People should feel empowered to push back on negatives stereotypes or pre-existing narratives because to be judged this way can make it difficult for a person to realise their potential.
It makes me really sad to think about all the potential of those people that have been left by the wayside because others assume “they never pay attention in class” or “they're just not that clever”. They just have a different way of learning and of operating that our system does not inherently support.
Do you have a dream guest that you’d love to interview on the podcast?
I’ve been asked this before and honestly, I think every person we’ve had on the podcast has been a dream guest. We’ve found all of their stories so interesting and the amazing grasp they have on their condition is really inspiring. Every one of them has made us feel full of inspiration and I couldn’t pick out a single person, we would be honoured to have anyone share their condition and journey with us.
Does having a creative outlet have a positive impact on you?
Massively; it’s how I communicate. I’ve always been compelled to try creative things, but I've only more recently realised that it's how I connect with people. The process of making the podcast showed me this and gave me access to others’ stories, making me feel connected to a community. We’re on this earth to communicate with each other and to me, creativity is connection. I just think it’s so important to feel that you have the ability to create. It can be a real source of sadness when we feel that we can’t connect with others.
Why do you think the world needs creativity?
Creative thought is going to save the world isn’t it? We have so many problems right now and thinking creatively is the answer. When you think about it, creativity is making something happen with almost nothing. Creativity has had a hand in providing solutions to issues and problems throughout history, and I think it’s a fundamental part of being human.
I think it’s what will save us, but we need to keep it in schools. We need to encourage it, help creativity flourish. Kids need to be encouraged to be creative. Adults need it as well. We all need to play more, be more open and be more understanding.