Violet Fenn

 

I’ve had no option but to find my own way in life because I’ve simply never fitted into mainstream employment (or society). Life gets easier once you realise that it really is okay to just make your own path. 

My career is something of a ‘patchwork portfolio’, with lots of very different things jumbled in together. This is partly because it stops me getting bored, but also because I’m interested in so many different topics and don’t want to restrict myself. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s far better to put my energy into things I can be 100% enthusiastic about because that way I’m far more likely to see it through.

I am making a living from writing and that’s something I always assumed only happened to Other People - the sort who were more organised and less ‘unusual’ than me. I recently signed with a publisher to write a book about Victorian sexuality - it’s the dream project, combining academic research with my interest in sex history. The Victorians weren’t as prudish as we often think and I’m really looking forward to showing people a different side of them.

Be yourself. There is only one You - even if other people are doing the same work as you they’ll be doing it differently, so just give it your best shot.

Decide what it is you want to do and just go for it. Full throttle. There’s no point doing things half-assed, you’ll only get half the result.

Make sure you have other ND people in your social network, but don’t avoid NT company - you need balance so that one side can poke you sharply if you veer off too far the other way. We’re all in this together, whether we like it or not.