What is the reality of being Autistic in the music industry? 

SD (@pj_au_ [https://www.instagram.com/pj_au_/?hl=en#]) is an Autistic rapper from Mississauga Ontario (Canada) performing in the Greater Toronto Area. Diagnosed with Autism and ADHD at 4 years old, SD was influenced by the renowned rappers in his city, drawing on his negative past experiences to produce rap music.

SD's Links - https://linktr.ee/S.D_Flame // My Links - https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK

In this episode of the Thoughty Auti Podcast, Thomas Henley talks to SD Flame about the reality of 'making it' in the music industry and how his neurodivergence of Autism & ADHD positively or negatively impact his career as a music artist.

Kicking off they talk about their shared love for rap music before diving deep into the SD Flame's experiences in secondary school; he mentions that rap battles were a large part of how he became renowned in his school. Flame also experienced a harsh family divorce in his adolescence.

SD constructed and paid for his own recording studio with the funds he saved from evening jobs as a dishwasher, this was where he met and befriended other neurodivergent individuals in his area. At 19 he decided to take rap more seriously, freestyling in local bars and networking with other music artists at nightclubs and learning the values of respect and humbleness through personal experience.

They soon transitioned to talking about ADHD and Autism, and how his fast-paced brain, pattern recognition, hyper focus and creativity positively impacted his musical ability. Difficulty with burnouts, transitions and inertia became a large focus when talking about the negatives, also explaining the difficulties of mental conditioning (de-tense), managing stress/anxiety and coping with the intense sensory environment of the stage.

Thomas draws comparisons to his experiences as a combat athlete in Taekwondo, and the difficulties of anxiety, panic attacks and meltdowns before fights.

They finish up by talking about the importance of pacing your workload, making adjustments to your environment and mental conditioning.

Song Of The Day (Listen Here) - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UDIyN5TSYN4zMcRoQPrG8?si=9255ed3480d840b5

Interview me, 1:1 Autism coaching, Public Speaking for events, workplace training  - https://www.thomashenley.co.uk [https://www.thomashenley.co.uk/]