Actually Asten

There’s this idea people love to push:“That school is the best time of your life.” They talk about lifelong friendships, coming-of-age moments, prom, leavers’ hoodies. They paint it like a golden age. A highlight reel. But for me? It wasn’t like that.By the time prom came around, I wasn’t even in mainstream school anymore.Because I’d…

Before I ever wrote a word, I was spinning. Not in a metaphorical “my head was spinning with ideas” kind of way — I mean literally spinning. Arms out. Room a blur. Mind wide open. It started as something that just felt good. Comforting. Regulating. But over time, it became something else entirely: it became…

Some characters live rent-free in your head.Amber and Jonas? They built a loft conversion and moved in with matching pyjamas. It started as a silly daydream — a pop star, a fangirl, a what-if. I didn’t expect it to become this. A whole series. A fictional couple with better communication than some real-life ones. A…

There are some days — maybe even weeks — where everything just feels flat. Not bad. Not dramatic. Just… blank.Nothing sparks joy, excitement, or even interest. The playlists sound dull, the projects feel pointless, and even the things you usually love don’t hit right. And in the middle of all that you realise: “I don’t…

We all have those songs that make our brain do a happy little dance – the kind that hit just right, whether you’re belting them in the shower or vibing in your pyjamas at 2am. For me, a solid dose of Disney is instant comfort, nostalgia, and dopamine. So I’ve made the ultimate Disney Stimmy…

I used to be safe. Protected. Free from the clutches of superheroes, comic book lore, and grown adults arguing about which Spider-Man was best. And then… I met Myron. Well — re-met. Fell back in love. And somewhere between quoting The Inbetweeners and planning our future, I realised something had shifted. This man has turned…

Growing up autistic, there were a lot of things I had to figure out on my own — things that neurotypical kids seemed to just know. One of the biggest? Sex, relationships, and boundaries. Like many people my age, I got the standard school sex ed: a slideshow about STIs, a few awkward lessons on…

If you’ve spent more than five minutes with me, you’ve probably heard me say “This is a stimmy bop” at least once. Music has always been a safe, joyful space for me — and certain songs hit that sweet spot where I can’t help but flap, bounce, spin, or sing at full volume (yes, even…

Some songs just hit. Not in the sad way, not in the heartbreak way — but in the “suddenly I’m dancing in my room and grinning like a maniac” way. They send a tingle up your arms, maybe make your chest feel like it’s about to burst with glitter. That, my friends, is the power…