Neurodiverse, Ariel is the Lady In Red

Ariel is the Lady in Red this week! Headed to an audition a couple years ago, I never would have thought I’d meet such an amazing soul that day. This talented star can be seen performing in Cabarets all around NYC. Make sure to follow her on instagram to see where her next one will be! This is Ariel’s personal story on Neurodiversity:

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What is your story?

“I was born in Livingston, New Jersey on Christmas Eve. I moved to Long Island with my mom and twin brother, when I was 2. I feel very grateful to have grown up so close to New York City! I was born very premature and because of that, I have a couple of different disabilities, both invisible and visible. I went to three different places for college and graduated college in 2018. I moved to New York City at the beginning of 2022.”

I see on Instagram you call yourself a Neurodiverse person. Can you elaborate on what that means?

“A neurodiverse person is someone with a cognitive learning disability. Some well known examples are ADHD and Dyslexia. Most of the time, these disabilities are invisible, but can affect your physical body (like having sensory overload or having trouble with spacial awareness). “

You can read more on neurodiversity here.

Does this prevent you from doing anything?

“While, sometimes, being a neurodiverse person is tricky because I might have to ask people to repeat things because my brain didn’t process it and it sounds like gibberish in my brain. I have scoliosis, so I can’t really lift anything heavy. I also don’t have strong fine motor skills, so things like buttoning buttons and zipping zippers might take me a little bit longer.”

What are some challenges you’ve had to face?

“There is a stigma with disabled people that they are inspirational, because they have to overcome a world that wasn’t made for them. While I have faced many challenges in my life, I really wish the general public would be more educated about disability in general, especially about invisible disabilities. More disability justice and less ableism, please!”

What advice do you have for other people that may be in a similar spot as you?

“The advice for people I have that are neurodiverse or in the semi-beginning of their creative journey is to find other neurodiverse people and find your community! I love to learn about new things and to take classes, when I can. Find people and teachers who believe in you and align with you. There are so many teachers and it’s ok, if you don’t click with one. Submit to everything you can-cabarets, shows, showcases, short films, webseries, etc. You never know who you can meet!”

Where can I find your writing?

“I have a Substack that you can subscribe to/donate to and my writing portfolio is here. I didn’t have many bylines (writing articles) last year, because budget’s were small and a lot of media companies laid off their staff.”

What are some of your hobbies?

“I love to read, go to the movies/go to concerts, eat ice cream and hang out with my friends.”

I see you’re singing on instagram, what is your favorite song to perform?

“I love singing folk-pop (think Maggie Rogers, Carole King, Sara Barellies), but it really depends on my mood and what my spirit is calling me to sing that day!”