Posted on June 8, 2026
TW: brief description of getting tattooed and brief mention of self harm.
Back at the beginning of April, I had a very fun, unique experience: after watching the first series of the YouTube show, Spectrum Ink, I kept an eye on their social media and applied to be a part of their second series. Bringing together awareness of neurodivergence and tattoos was something I was very excited by – both are special interests for me – and when I saw that they were specifically looking to explore stories of service/assistance animals, it felt like a sign from the universe. I’d had a Daisy inspired tattoo on my list practically since I got her and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. So I applied with my idea. was chosen to join the second series, and my episode has just gone up on YouTube…
Meet Lauren – a singer-songwriter from Brighton who was late-diagnosed with Autism, Inattentive ADHD, OCD & CPTSD. Lauren visits Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Studio in Nottingham alongside her Autism Assistance Dog, Daisy, named after Daisy Johnson from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a character whose power to generate and manipulate vibrations resonates deeply with Lauren as an autistic woman. Today, Lauren is getting Daisy’s paw print tattooed – designed by artist Teddy and placed exactly where Daisy stands by her side – as a permanent tribute to the bond that changed her life. Together they talk the sanctuary of songwriting as a neurodivergent person, being a Taylor Swift Super Fan, the life-changing impact of an assistance dog, and why speaking up and protesting your cause matters. 🐾 (x)
Read MoreCategory: about me, activism, animals, anxiety, autism, autism dog, emotions, event, family, favourites, meltdowns, self harm, special interests, video Tagged: actuallyautistic, agents of shield, asd, assistance dog, autism, autism acceptance, autism assistance dog, autism representation, autism spectrum disorder, autistic, autistic adult, autistic joy, awkward studios, bleeding hearts tattoo studio, cognitive ability, daisy johnson, flapping, hand flapping, joy, masking, neurodivergent, new tattoo, pet tattoo, public access, regulation, self regulation, self stimulatory behaviour, service annimal, service dog, somatic therapy, songwriting, special interest, special interests, spectrum, spectrum ink, spectrumink, stim, stimming, stims, superdog, tattoo, tattoo design, taylor swift, teddy mae, teddy mae tattooes, therapy, trans right protest, trans rights, trans rights march, tribute tattoo, unmasking, vibrations
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
Posted on February 28, 2026
My proudest achievement of 2025 was releasing new music: two singles and an EP! Having not released a project since my Honest EP in 2020 (although I later released the acoustic version in 2021), I’ve been so desperate to release more music but health stuff got in the way and it took a long time to get back to a place where I was even close to capable of managing the stress of putting out a new project (and stressful it was). Given everything that happened between late June and December, I didn’t have the headspace, the physical ability, the time, or any combination of the three to write about it properly. But I didn’t want to skip it because it is so important to me and to the last year so – finally – here is the post about my recent EP, Too Much And Not Enough, Vol. 1. This is – hopefully – the first in a series about my experiences of being autistic, inspired by how lonely and isolating it was to grow up, never seeing or hearing my life represented in books, film, TV, music, and so on. It’s taken a long time to feel ready to take on a project like this but now that I am, I know without a doubt that this is the art that I’m meant to be making.
“What makes Too Much And Not Enough, Vol. 1 powerful is its dual role as personal diary and shared lifeline. Hooper writes for her younger self, for others navigating similar realities, and for those who may be hearing these experiences articulated for the first time. The result is a project that doesn’t just speak – it listens back, offering connection in a world that often overlooks the voices that need to be heard most.” (x)
Category: activism, anxiety, autism, body image, chronic pain, diagnosis, emotions, life lessons, mental health, music, ocd, special interests, writing Tagged: 52 hertz whale, agents of shield, album artwork, alt pop, alt pop artist, altpop, altpop artist, armour, asd, autism, autism spectrum disorder, autistic artist, autistic joy, autistic photographer, autistic singer, autistic singersongwriter, autistic songwriter, backing vocals, caylan hays, collaboration, cover art, cowriting, creative process, daisy johnson, ep artwork, ep reviews, eye contact, eye to eye, in the mourning, independent artist, indie artist, indie pop, indie pop artist, josh fielden, last one standing, lauren alex hooper, live drums, luce, lukeistired, marketing, masking, mastering, mixing, music production, new ep, new music, new music uk, new single, overexposed, photoshoot, production, production process, promotion, recording, recording session, recording sessions, recording studio, richard marc, richard marc music, richard sanderson, sensory issues, sensory overwhelm, sensory processing, sensory sensitivities, sensory sensitivity, songwriting, songwriting inspiration, songwriting process, special interest, special interests, sprogglet studios, the loneliest whale, thomas oscar miles, too much and not enough, too much and not enough vol 1, unmasking, unsigned artist, visuals, vocals, write this out

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