Natalie Cunningham, Distorting Normal (PEOPLE 2022)

“Distorting Normal” metaphorically narrates a process of the neurodivergent community rejecting the need to meet the expectations of an allistic society by distorting and challenging the perception of “normal” by making the invisible visible. Once upon a time we were expected to suppress who we are at the core and to achieve the impossible. As we attempted to force ourselves into the centre of the bell curve educationally, we endured brutal sensory assaults from our itchy school uniforms, untameable background noise, and the overwhelming scent of tuna sandwiches at lunch time. Our dyspraxic hands would be strained from trying to avoid reprehension from handing in a messy worksheet. All while unknowingly battling uncompliant processing speeds co-existing with undiagnosed specific learning disorders. Rarely is there a good outcome, especially when you are told you are broken. Distorting element’s of one’s face is at first uncomfortable as we expect faces to be relatively symmetrical. However this allows us to notice the intricate features such as the patterns in the iris and the direction of the eyelashes which were perhaps not so apparent without a magnifying glass. Distorting our perception of “normal” initially challenges us in a similar way to adjusting to the distorted face. It ultimately brings to light strengths and value that were impossible to see under a regime of conformity. This cultivates an even playing field. “Distorting Normal” is about creating intrigue and abolishing resistance when it comes to diversity and difference. Ultimately it is about the fact that we don’t need to be fixed, we need to be understood.

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