Caroline Powell

Video best represents my ADHD, at least the hyperactive/inattentive part of my disorder, for it can capture the quick synapses and flashes of thought. A ‘spectrum on a screen’, as I put it. With such a complex disorder it’s been rather tough trying to make neurotypical people (those without any mental disorders) see my point of view and how much harder things can be for me. I primarily use video to engage in personal and social commentary about the diverse array of oddities that the internet brings, as a source of comedy. 

 
I am versed in internet culture and I find myself wanting to share the things I discover, like showing friends a cool insect I found on the sidewalk. Some may be naturally weirded out - and I don’t blame that kind of reaction - while others may be fascinated. One thing’s for sure, I don’t tailor or cater my work to an extremely specific group of people. To me, that hinders progress and growth, as well as make me feel like I’m putting on a mask that people want to see me wear to make them comfortable. 

While what I make may not be surreal or as immediately understandable to the casual viewer, I take pride in knowing that the work I make is unique to me. I make work with existing media, and nobody else has made something exactly like it, much like a readymade. In a sense, it’s like neurodivergency, where you may have the same basis of disorder, but no two people will show the exact same signs and symptoms. There’s also the diverseness of internet culture, where a genre may have dozens upon dozens of different subdivisions, different ways to interpret, different ways to make, to create, to share. All corners provide something unique, and that’s something I also want to show, because that’s what I do.