#YourStory
Maters.
# NotInvisible #selkiesoforkney #NDwomen
The Selkies of Orkney focuses on adult women, cis and transgender, who discover later in life that they are and or identify as NEURODIVERGENT. This creative project explores masking, identity, burnout, belonging, meltdowns, shutdowns and anything related not noted, and life in a small island community.
Photo by Mark Neal on Pexels.comShare your Story
“Share your story in writing, art, poetry, audio, or video, your experience, your way.”
Not everything needs to be named.
These are starting points, not limits.
Before the Name
life before diagnosis
The Mask Wardrobe
camouflaging, social scripts
Sensory Weather
sound, light, touch, overwhelm
Island Time
Orkney culture, space, isolation, beauty
The Diagnosis Moment
shock, grief, relief, anger
Rebuilding Identity
after the label
Quiet Strengths
hyperfocus, empathy, creativity
Ways to Share
There is no single way to tell a story.
You can choose what feels right for you:
Tell it your way
If your story doesn’t fit a format, we will find a way together
Write it
A few lines, a full piece, or something unfinished
Create it
Artwork, photography, visual expression
Speak it
Audio recordings or voice notes
Film it
Video, short or long
In the end
Editing is a part of the process.
If it sits, it fits.
A Safe Space
This project is built on respect, care, and understanding.
You can share in the way that feels safest for you:
- I can meet you in person (where possible)
- We can talk via video call
- You can send your story by email or post
- If writing is difficult, you can tell your story and I or someone can help shape it with you
You remain in control of your story.
If you would like your experience included in the final book or project, I will work with you to make that possible.
Selkies of Orkney
We believe stories do not have to be tidy to be true.
We believe late understanding is still understanding.
That identity can arrive like weather, not like a verdict.
We believe masking is survival, not deception.
And that burnout is not failure,
but a signal that something has been carried too long without being seen.
We believe neurodivergence is not invisible, only unspoken.
We believe small places hold vast experiences.
And that island life can sharpen both beauty and isolation at the same time.
We believe people deserve space to speak in their own form,
spoken, written, drawn, filmed, or still becoming.
We believe no single story explains a life.
But shared stories can make recognition possible.
This project exists as a place to be seen without needing to translate yourself into something smaller.
My name is Elke Stevens.
I am a dyslexic, late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD adult living in Orkney.
Receiving my diagnosis reframed much of my past. It gave language to experiences I had carried for years, especially around masking, burnout, and identity, but also sensory sensitivity, autistic meltdown and shutdowns.
I started The Selkies of Orkney because I believe many adults hold untold stories similar to mine. On an island of 25,000 people, neurodivergence can feel invisible. I wanted to create a space where those experiences are recognised and respected, and shared.
This project grows from lived experience, community connection, and a desire to build something collaborative and honest.
Elke Stevens
Project initiator.
Community Questionnaire:
Help shape information and education by completing this anonymous questionnaire. It explores how people understand neurodiversity in everyday life. By taking part, you help highlight real experiences, challenge misconceptions, and support a more informed and compassionate community.
Your voice matters, and your insight helps build a stronger, kinder community. with understanding and participation.
Click the link for the questionnaire
Feel free to contact us
Ask your questions.
Selkies Of Orkney 