14 Years Sober!

I am 14 years sober today!!! This day is more exciting to me than my birthday because it is the day I decided to change my life for the better and change my life forever. Getting sober was one of the best decisions I could’ve ever made, and I am so grateful for how my life has turned out. Getting sober has made me more determined and driven, which helps me in my daily life with my home life, mental health, and career. If it weren’t for getting sober, I would still be stuck at rock bottom trying to figure out my life and find my way. My life continues to grow with new opportunities, one of which starts later this week, and I cannot wait to share more about it and document my entire experience.

Sobriety was never easy, but because of the hard work I put into it, my life continues to shine through with bigger and better things. Years ago, I would’ve never thought I would get married while my parents were still alive or have the success in filmmaking I have now. Without sobriety, I believe I would not be where I am today. My sobriety is one of the most important things to me in my life, and I would never trade it for anything in the world.

If you, a friend, or a loved one are struggling with addiction issues, please know that if you are willing to build the courage and take the first step to try and get sober, life can get better. Please feel free to reach out to me, and I would be happy to listen and be there for you however I can. The first steps of recovery are scary and take a lot of work, but from my experience, I can say it is well worth it.

Happy World Autism Acceptance and Awareness Day – 2024

Happy World Autism Acceptance and Awareness Day, everyone. This day and the month of April mean a lot to me as an autistic adult, and I wanted to speak to it a little bit.

In the last year or two, my life has grown exponentially, and I continue to find ways to flourish. Yes, I have my difficulties as an autistic adult pretty regularly, but I do not allow that to overshadow all of the great things happening in my life.

One thing I have seen in my life and other autistic people’s lives is being told what they can and can’t do and being very limited in growth and the ability to thrive in life. I was one of those people for a long time, but after the experience, I would tell autistic parents, kids, and adults to reach for the stars and follow their passions and dreams. You never know where this might lead.

In the last few days, I got one of my biggest film career opportunities. I cannot wait to share more about it soon and document my experience for all of you. This opportunity seems larger than life, and I am still blown away and feel speechless about it.

But it’s not just that; last year, I married my beautiful wife, @saraklumb, and our award-winning film Change has been in film festivals worldwide. I am nearing completion of my first feature film and hope to finish it by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025. I also helped run a film festival and done public speaking engagements. I recently became a part of the @flutiefdn family and am a cohost of a podcast with one of my best friends, @jennifermsumba. I am also a filmmaker and a member of the Stars of the Spectrum Golf League.
One of my favorite things these days is being a barista at @bittyandbeaus Coffee, which adds more structure to my life, gives me the opportunity to have a job in a supportive work environment, and the ability to make new friends.

Just remember to follow your dreams and not let anyone hold you back. The worst thing that could happen is that things remain the same, but you won’t know unless you try.

Have a great day, everyone!

Temple Grandin Interview

Here I am doing an interview with Temple Grandin for my film Autism One Man’s Journey.

Autism and Headphones

Autism and Headphones – As an autistic person, headphones are one of the best things to help me cope in a variety of overwhelming situations. Noise cancelling headphones help me tune out most background noises and help make things more manageable. This can be very useful in crowded places or locations with high frequency noises. After having a meltdown or shutting down, headphones can also provide a sense of calm and focus. Headphones will always be one of my go to coping mechanism. How do headphones best help you?

Wedding Planning (Cake Tasting)

Sara and I did more wedding planning today and got to pick out our Wedding Cake. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s completed. It is hard to believe that our wedding is just a handful of months away.

Denver Nuggets NBA Champions!!!

I can’t believe the Denver Nuggets won!!! One of my special interests as an autistic person is Denver Nuggets basketball, and I’ve been a huge fan for years. The level of emotion with this championship feels very surreal. I had to rush out of my new home today to get some championship gear because I’m very proud of the Denver Nuggets, who finally took the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy home to Denver. With this Nuggets team we could take home many more championships in the years to come!

Multi-Award-Winning Filmmaker

Here I am sitting by all my awards doing an interview to announce my film at the 2022 AutFest in Texas!

Teaching Autistic People Filmmaking

For almost eight weeks now I have been teaching other Autistic kids filmmaking at TACT. TACT stands for Teaching the Autism Community Trades. The students have learned a lot so far and continue to grow.

Close Friends

This was the first time Jennifer Msumba and I met in person. We are both autistic and relate to one another in a variety of ways.

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Thoughty Auti Podcast S2-Ep8

Check out my new podcast with Thomas Henley at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjhnRLCPZGU