In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, Caitlin—an avowed autistic anti-subtexter—unexpectedly makes the case for small talk. What starts as a ranty love-hate relationship with “talking about the weather” turns into a surprising reflection on community, nervous system safety, and how micro-connections (yes, even elevator weather chat) are part of how we build a village that can actually hold us when things go sideways.

💬 “There are ways to be safe that don’t completely isolate you.  And I think like that's what I'm going for here is, we do need to rely on each other a little bit. We need to wave to our neighbors a little bit, you know? Because if we don't do that, if we don't build the village, then we don't have the village when we need it.“
— Caitlin Liz Fisher

So if small talk makes you cringe, social rules confuse you, or you’ve been feeling the cold creep of hyper-individualism… buckle up. Caitlin’s about to reframe the whole thing!

What We Explore In This Episode

• Why small talk exists and how it functions as “I’m a person / you’re a person” connection (not meaningless filler)
• When “noise” is actually communication your nervous system can learn to decode
• How micro-social rituals help create community safety without forcing intimacy or oversharing
• Practical safety frameworks that aren’t pure isolation (e.g., “tricky people,” finding a parent with kids, and context clues that help in real life)