Posted on October 3, 2026
Another photo challenge! I didn’t have a particular goal in mind for this one, just the day to day documenting of the month, which I’d always known was going to be a busy one. That plan kind of went sideways halfway through but I liked what I’d included so far so I decided to continue the post anyway. September was busy and inspiring and exhausting and frustrating and exciting and unimaginable and as the month drew to a close, I felt that that was more than enough of a reason to document and share it.
1. IN THE MIRROR – I’ve been wearing my makeup the same way for so long now: concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and sometimes a bit of highlighter. And some eyebrow tint very, very occasionally. It’s quick (unless the eyeliner refuses to cooperate) and relatively easy to do but I’m so short-sighted that I have to be SO CLOSE to the mirror; my nose practically touches the glass and I’ve knocked various products against the mirror more times than I can count. I’ve started needing to take an actual mirror with me if I ever have to stay at a hotel because, guaranteed, they’re always above a sink or desk and I CAN’T SEE THAT FAR.


2. AT THE TABLE – Having committed to a thirty day music production challenge – where I had to make something everyday throughout September – I spent a lot of time at my desk, working at my laptop with my recording gear. Now that I have a good, supportive desk chair, working at my desk is easier than it used to be but I still struggle with executive function of transitioning from one task to another, especially if it’s in a different room – so I’m often stuck at my desk or stuck on the sofa. ADHD is incredibly frustrating.
Read MoreCategory: about me, adhd, animals, autism, autism dog, emotions, event, favourites, food, heds, medication, music, sleep, special interests, therapy Tagged: accommodation, adhd, asd, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, autism assistance dog, autism spectrum disorder, autistic artist, bullet journal, chronic illness, dog, fidget toy, illness, inattentive adhd, independent artist, makeup, making music, medication, music production, neurographic drawing, noise cancelling headphones, planner, pomchi, production, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivities, sensory sensitivity, stimming
Posted on June 1, 2026
TW: mentions of depression and pet loss/grief.
As I’ve said in previous posts, I love a good photo challenge and I really liked the prompts posted for May: I felt like they allowed for more creativity than some of the previous months have (hence why I didn’t end up doing or finishing them) and, as a result, I enjoyed the challenge a lot more. I started the month in a really deep bit of depression so it wasn’t the worst thing for me to have something to do each day, even if it was as simple as finding something to take a photo off, and then, as I came out of that pit, it served as a good way to remember what a very hectic but also really special month…
Category: animals, anxiety, autism, autism dog, book, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, depression, emotions, event, family, favourites, mental health, music, pots, special interests, therapy, writing Tagged: 2026, 30 day photo challenge, asd, assistance dog, autism, autism assistance dog, autism dog, autism spectrum disorder, autistic, autistic adult, black labrador, cat, cat family, cat grief, cat loss, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain, concert, crafting, criminal minds, criminal minds evolution, dentist, depression, dinosaur, dinosaur series 1, disabled, disabled adult, dog, dysregulation, emily prentiss, emotional dysregulation, emotional regulation, erin lecount, family of cats, fan culture, fangirl, fidget toy, friendship bracelets, grief, heatwave, hot weather, inter alia, labrador, leeds, live music, may 2026, may photo challenge, nervous system, pet grief, pet loss, photo a day challenge, photo challenge, poetry, poetry orchard, poetry workshop, red bull, redbull, regulation, service dog, sewing, somatic therapy, specialist dental clinic, specialist dentist, stimming, tangle, temperature dysregulation, temperature regulation, therapy, treatment resistant depression
Posted on April 4, 2026
I really enjoyed doing my photo challenge in January and although I tried to do it again in February, my brain was just too full of other things to keep up with the prompts and so my post became sparser and sparser. But this month started out more calmly and I felt a little less burned out and so I felt like I could actually hold the prompts in my brain.
I found the January prompts were more interesting but I was game to give it a go and so here we are…
Category: about me, animals, autism, book, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, exercise, favourites, heds, hydrotherapy, pots, special interests Tagged: 30 day challenge, 30 day photo challenge, autism, autism spectrum disorder, autistic, challenge, dog, fidget toy, fidget toys, hydrotherapy, london, nature, photo a day challenge, photo challenge, red bull, special interest, special interests, stimming, wheelchair

Hi! I’m Lauren Alex Hooper. Welcome to my little blog! I write about living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, OCD, CPTSD, depression, and anxiety, as well as other health issues including hEDS and POTS.
I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter (it’s my biggest special interest and I have both a BA and MA in songwriting) and my most recent EP, Too Much And Not Enough, Vol. 1, is available on all music platforms and is the first in the series of works based on my experiences as an autistic person.
Finding Hope