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Protocol to Manage Stress and Loneliness
This is the protocol I use to manage my stress and loneliness as an autistic person.
First step is to unplug. The constant noise, messages, and digital stuff just drains me. So I make sure to create quiet, peaceful spaces for myself. I'll meditate, take a silent bath, or go hiking with just a notebook - no phone or music. I let myself fully process my thoughts and feelings without any filters.
Then I ask myself two important questions:
Why do I feel this way? What is the root cause of the stress or loneliness I'm experiencing? I dig deep to understand the core issue.
How can I fix this? What specific actions can I take to address the problem and find a solution?
I write everything down - the problems and the potential solutions. Seeing it all laid out helps me think more clearly.
Next, I take action on those solutions. I put my plan into motion, step-by-step. But I don't just do it once and stop. I constantly re-check if it's working. If not, I'll adjust my approach and try again until I get the result I want.
This routine is how I manage the sensory overload and social fatigue that really overwhelms me as an autistic person. It gives me control and helps me find the calm I need, even when everything feels chaotic.
This is the protocol I use to manage my stress and loneliness as an autistic person.
First step is to unplug. The constant noise, messages, and digital stuff just drains me. So I make sure to create quiet, peaceful spaces for myself. I'll meditate, take a silent bath, or go hiking with just a notebook - no phone or music. I let myself fully process my thoughts and feelings without any filters.
Then I ask myself two important questions:
Why do I feel this way? What is the root cause of the stress or loneliness I'm experiencing? I dig deep to understand the core issue.
How can I fix this? What specific actions can I take to address the problem and find a solution?
I write everything down - the problems and the potential solutions. Seeing it all laid out helps me think more clearly.
Next, I take action on those solutions. I put my plan into motion, step-by-step. But I don't just do it once and stop. I constantly re-check if it's working. If not, I'll adjust my approach and try again until I get the result I want.
This routine is how I manage the sensory overload and social fatigue that really overwhelms me as an autistic person. It gives me control and helps me find the calm I need, even when everything feels chaotic.
#EastMeetsWest #Minimalist #3rdCulture
The First Piece of Clothing I Designed
This minimalist white modern kurta top was one of the very first pieces of clothing that I designed.
I was looking for something very specific - something functional, easy to match (I don't like spending a lot of time figuring out what to wear), comfortable, doesn't wrinkle easily, can be worn casual or formal, and represents my cultural identity and roots. But I couldn't find it in the stores.
So I decided to design it myself.
Here I am wearing my white minimalist modern kurta top. I paired it with a pair of black vegan leather jeans and white loafers. Yes, I'm a loafers girl forever!
This kurta top is exactly what I was looking for. It checks all the boxes. Functional, easy to style, comfortable, and it connects me to my cultural heritage. I'm so glad I took the time to design this piece myself instead of just settling for what was available.
Sometimes you just can't find what you need, so you have to create it yourself. I'm proud of this minimalist kurta design. It's become a wardrobe staple for me.
This minimalist white modern kurta top was one of the very first pieces of clothing that I designed.
I was looking for something very specific - something functional, easy to match (I don't like spending a lot of time figuring out what to wear), comfortable, doesn't wrinkle easily, can be worn casual or formal, and represents my cultural identity and roots. But I couldn't find it in the stores.
So I decided to design it myself.
Here I am wearing my white minimalist modern kurta top. I paired it with a pair of black vegan leather jeans and white loafers. Yes, I'm a loafers girl forever!
This kurta top is exactly what I was looking for. It checks all the boxes. Functional, easy to style, comfortable, and it connects me to my cultural heritage. I'm so glad I took the time to design this piece myself instead of just settling for what was available.
Sometimes you just can't find what you need, so you have to create it yourself. I'm proud of this minimalist kurta design. It's become a wardrobe staple for me.
The Amirah Logo: A Backstory
I'm excited to share the story behind the design of my logo today. It's a tale that's deeply rooted in my fascination with Indonesian culture and the rich symbolism of the 'Kayon' - a captivating element found in the traditional shadow puppet art form known as 'Wayang Kulit'.
As many of you know, I've long been enamored with the mesmerizing sound of the Gamelan, the traditional ensemble music from Indonesia, and its influence can be heard throughout my work. But it was the 'Kayon' that truly captured my imagination from the very first moment I laid eyes on it.
The 'Kayon's' resemblance to the letter 'A' (my first initial) immediately piqued my interest, and the intricate details of its design, as well as the profound stories it represents, felt incredibly resonant with me. In fact, another name for the 'Kayon' is the 'Gunungan', which translates to 'The Tree of Life' - a concept that deeply resonates with my own love for nature and the interconnectedness of all things.
As I delved deeper into the significance of the 'Kayon' in Indonesian puppet art, I was struck by the way it symbolizes the cyclical nature of life. Used at the beginning and end of performances, the 'Kayon' reflects the belief that all of life, including its beginnings and endings, is part of an eternal, interconnected cycle. This idea of duality and the blending of opposites - the ancient and the futuristic, the Eastern and the Western - perfectly encapsulates the artistic vision I've always had for my music.
With this inspiration in hand, I began researching 'Kayon' designs, saving the ones that resonated with me and experimenting with sketches on paper. As a visual and kinesthetic person, I wanted to explore the design from multiple angles, fine-tuning the details until I had a shortlist of my favorites.
The next step was to bring my ideas to a few graphic designers, but I quickly found that translating an artist's vision into a cohesive logo design is no easy feat. Some of the initial designs were too cute, too feminine, or too corporate - missing the delicate balance of tradition and modernity that I was seeking.
At one point, I even considered giving up, until someone suggested I try 99designs, a platform that facilitates design contests. Though I was initially hesitant about the competitive approach, it ended up being the solution I needed. After a month of constant digital correspondence and sensory overload, I finally landed on the perfect logo design.
The journey was not without its challenges (and major sensory overload!), but the end result is a logo that I'm truly proud of - one that beautifully captures the essence of my artistic identity and the cultural duality that has always been a part of my creative expression.
I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the story of my logo. It's a tale that speaks to the power of cultural exchange, the importance of perseverance, and the magic that can happen when we're willing to step outside our comfort zones and embrace the unfamiliar.
Below are some of the images I went through before settling on the final one:
I'm excited to share the story behind the design of my logo today. It's a tale that's deeply rooted in my fascination with Indonesian culture and the rich symbolism of the 'Kayon' - a captivating element found in the traditional shadow puppet art form known as 'Wayang Kulit'.
As many of you know, I've long been enamored with the mesmerizing sound of the Gamelan, the traditional ensemble music from Indonesia, and its influence can be heard throughout my work. But it was the 'Kayon' that truly captured my imagination from the very first moment I laid eyes on it.
The 'Kayon's' resemblance to the letter 'A' (my first initial) immediately piqued my interest, and the intricate details of its design, as well as the profound stories it represents, felt incredibly resonant with me. In fact, another name for the 'Kayon' is the 'Gunungan', which translates to 'The Tree of Life' - a concept that deeply resonates with my own love for nature and the interconnectedness of all things.
As I delved deeper into the significance of the 'Kayon' in Indonesian puppet art, I was struck by the way it symbolizes the cyclical nature of life. Used at the beginning and end of performances, the 'Kayon' reflects the belief that all of life, including its beginnings and endings, is part of an eternal, interconnected cycle. This idea of duality and the blending of opposites - the ancient and the futuristic, the Eastern and the Western - perfectly encapsulates the artistic vision I've always had for my music.
With this inspiration in hand, I began researching 'Kayon' designs, saving the ones that resonated with me and experimenting with sketches on paper. As a visual and kinesthetic person, I wanted to explore the design from multiple angles, fine-tuning the details until I had a shortlist of my favorites.
The next step was to bring my ideas to a few graphic designers, but I quickly found that translating an artist's vision into a cohesive logo design is no easy feat. Some of the initial designs were too cute, too feminine, or too corporate - missing the delicate balance of tradition and modernity that I was seeking.
At one point, I even considered giving up, until someone suggested I try 99designs, a platform that facilitates design contests. Though I was initially hesitant about the competitive approach, it ended up being the solution I needed. After a month of constant digital correspondence and sensory overload, I finally landed on the perfect logo design.
The journey was not without its challenges (and major sensory overload!), but the end result is a logo that I'm truly proud of - one that beautifully captures the essence of my artistic identity and the cultural duality that has always been a part of my creative expression.
I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the story of my logo. It's a tale that speaks to the power of cultural exchange, the importance of perseverance, and the magic that can happen when we're willing to step outside our comfort zones and embrace the unfamiliar.
Below are some of the images I went through before settling on the final one:
#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest #Minimalist