parallax background

Kay Wilson

Illustrator

Kay Wilson

Illustrator

One of my most vivid memories of being 19 was sitting at a computer in my mouldy student flat in Peckham, crying. I had just read through an ADHD forum for the first time, and was so overwhelmed at how many stories were identical to parts of my life I had never quite made sense of. I had known from a young age that I was Dyslexic and Dyspraxic but ADHD was never considered, despite my inability to focus, my early struggles with making friends and my disorganisation. A few years later at 22 I was formally diagnosed and began the untangling of my life.

Being diagnosed helped me get my life back together. I originally left university with a 3rd in a 2-year FdA degree, and after returning to university post diagnosis I graduated with 1st class honours in my Illustration BA. I was having panicked breakdowns every couple of months, I've not had a single one since diagnosis. Most importantly, I am slowly learning to be kind and loving myself and my ADHD, instead of constantly beating myself down. There was a time before diagnosis where I thought my art was going to slip away from me, now I can't imagine my life without it. 

ADHD has had a huge influence on how I create work! I've always been attracted to bright colours which led me to Risograph printing. I then reverse engineered my process from there. I either work digitally, or partially traditionally where I draw out each layer in black before scanning it in and adjusting the colours. A lot of the time my traditional work doesn't have a plan so the end result is often a complete surprise. I really enjoy that part of the process and it keeps my work exciting and makes creating a good image super rewarding. I love the zen state I can get into whilst creating work, it's an incredibly healing and meditative process for me. 

I've made so much progress in the last 2 years, I'm so excited to see what I can achieve next. I still think back to that first moment of discovery, my 19 year self-realising she wasn't alone. I carry her with me every day, I hope I am doing her proud. 

https://kaywilsoncreative.com/

JOIN THE BIG PICTURE THINKERS

Over the coming weeks we're excited to introduce you to our Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women. Sign up to receive our full newsletter straight into your inbox.