Season 6, Episode 9: Special Interests and Creativity with Marie Masse
This week on the pod we chat with Marie Masse (pronounced ‘moss’) about special interests and creativity. Marie is part of our little ND Woman Pod team, and she has been the creative genius behind pretty much everything except the actual episodes themselves. So, if you follow us on socials, or you’ve checked out our website, or you’ve downloaded one of our gorgeous PDF episode articles, you’ve definitely seen her work!
Marie is a late-identified 2e AuDHDer with two neurodivergent kids, navigating life with OCD and chronic health conditions —mostly from her creative sanctuary: a little cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the USA. During a period of trauma and burnout, Marie lost access to her most sacred interest—her creative process—but has since reclaimed it, proving that healing and recovery are possible.
Since 2013, she has crafted over 300 creations—articles, digital tools, guides, books, podcast episodes, and transformative programs centred around story work. Her creations invite others to stay awake to the tiny stories that shape their lives and use them as opportunities to heal, thrive, and live fully expressed.
In this episode, we cover:
How Marie thinks about neurodivergence and her path to discovering her own neurodivergence.
How ‘special interests’ manifest for Marie.
The difference between Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD special interests.
The centrality of special interests as an ‘organising force’ for autistic folk.
Marie’s experience of losing access to her creative process (her special interest).
The difference between living a ‘balanced’ life for neurotypicals, versus what ‘balance’ can look like for neurodivergent people.
Marie’s experience of her special interests in childhood.
How the internet has made interests and interest-based connections more accessible for neurodivergent folk.
Neurotypical special interests.
Marie explains ‘story work’.
[00:03:01] Marie’s conceptualisation of neurodivergence
Key Takeaways:
Neurodivergence is a fundamental part of identity, existing alongside passions, values, experiences, etc., like a cluster of stars within a unique constellation.
Neurodivergent traits, such as hyperfocus, interact dynamically with other “stars” in a person’s constellation, influencing creativity, mood, and relationships.
Interruptions to hyperfocus, for example, can disrupt the harmony of these “stars,” creating friction that manifests as irritability or rage, akin to cosmic energy bursts. Supernova-like meltdowns or burnouts occur when multiple traits or pressures interact intensely, leading to overwhelming and sometimes life-altering moments.
[00:07:18] Marie’s path to discovering her own neurodivergence
Key Takeaways:
Understanding ADHD began when a friend challenged Marie’s belief that she didn’t fit the diagnosis, asking, “How much effort are you putting in to be that way?” This question highlighted the hidden labour behind her prolific organisation and productivity, leading her to explore ADHD in women and ultimately seek assessment.
The Autism identification was driven by survival, emerging during a period of caregiver burnout and crisis when Marie experienced meltdowns, panic, and creative disconnection.
External validation—particularly from a psychologist who specialised in Autistic women—was crucial for Marie. However, the trauma she was experiencing at the time took precedence in her focus and healing journey.
[00:19:06] How ‘special interests’ manifest for Marie and the difference between Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD special interests.
Key Takeaways:
Marie initially didn’t resonate with the term ‘special interest,’ as her son's intense and singular focus on chainsawing and firewood didn’t align with her own experience.
She also dismissed the concept of an inner world, assuming it referred exclusively to fantasy or fiction.
Later, she recognised that her inner world, driven by philosophical musings and interconnected ideas rooted in real-world questions, fits within the concept of Autistic special interests and has been a prominent part of her daily life since childhood.
For Marie and her AuDHDer combo brain, special interests shift with time and seasons, often encompassing bursts of intense focus and engagement.
While the topics change, they are interconnected, often stemming from central, philosophical questions that weave together into a web of ideas. She describes this process as diving deeply for a while, shelving a topic, and sometimes revisiting it later while exploring an adjacent topic.
The difference between Autistic and ADHD special interests often lies in depth and duration.
Autistic special interests are typically lifelong, detailed, and systematised, whereas ADHD interests tend to be shorter-term, action-oriented, and driven by novelty.
AuDHD brains often combine both traits, enabling deep dives across multiple interconnected interests, while also experiencing unrelated hyperfixations that can arise suddenly and fade just as quickly.
Special interests are the organising structure for many neurodivergent individuals, particularly Autistic people, shaping thoughts, emotions, relationships, and even life goals. Losing access to these interests, such as during burnout, can feel disorienting and distressing, like being “lost in space.”
[00:30:45] Marie’s experience of losing access to her creative process (her special interest)
Key Takeaways:
Engaging with special interests, for Marie, is essential for her emotional regulation and well-being. Without it, she feels physically and emotionally different, becoming irritable and stressed even in the absence of external stressors after 2-3 days max.
Losing access to her creative processes during a caregiving crisis led Marie to suppress her passions, leaving her feeling further disconnected from herself.
Attempts to re-engage with her creative drive were met with paralysing hypervigilance and performance pressure, as she often wondered, “Will I ever get back to myself?”
Special interests often intertwine with work for neurodivergent people, as they did for Marie. While this can bring fulfilment, it also risks burnout, making it crucial to cultivate lighter, low-pressure hobbies or hyperfixations to maintain a sense of balance.
Neurodivergent people often live in an ‘all or nothing’ rhythm, sprinting with intense focus and then needing to switch off and recover. This differs significantly from neurotypical concepts of balance and requires reframing what a healthy, sustainable life looks like.
Interruptions and societal expectations often make it difficult for neurodivergent women and AFAB individuals to prioritise their interests. This lack of space and time can lead to dysregulation, highlighting the importance of engaging with passions daily for well-being.
[00:50:52] Marie’s experience of her special interests in childhood
Key Takeaways:
Marie’s early special interests blended creativity and solitude. As a child, she spent hours in an apple fruit tree in her backyard, using a pulley system to bring up supplies (notebooks, markers, snacks), exploring narratives, and immersing herself in ideas while surrounded by nature.
Societal expectations and peer pressure influenced Marie to suppress childhood interests, like imaginative play, after witnessing others ridicule a classmate for playing with Barbies. This marked the start of her self-monitoring and hiding her passions.
A high school project on euthanasia highlighted Marie’s love for the process of gathering, organising, and presenting information—a passion she now recognises as foundational to her creative and professional work.
Gendered societal attitudes often devalue "feminine" or non-monetised special interests, making it vital to reframe these as meaningful pursuits rather than trivial hobbies.
Marie emphasises the importance of teaching kids (and adults) to recognise, reflect on, and lean into tiny activities that spark joy. Rediscovering forgotten passions can bring profound fulfillment and self-connection.
[01:01:50] How has the internet made engaging with special interests more accessible for neurodivergent folk + what do neurotypical interests look like?
Key takeaways:
As a gifted kid turned burned-out high schooler + college dropout, Marie had lost her innate curiosity due to rigid systems dictating what and how to learn. Between this and self-monitoring through adolescence, Marie’s connection to her special interests suffered.
Rediscovering her love for learning in her early twenties was a pivotal moment, and the internet became a vehicle for her curiosity, offering new sources of information, diverse formats for learning, and, for the first time ever, mentors pursuing passions she could aspire to.
In 2014, after selling her first ebook and receiving feedback from readers, her special interests and love for learning exploded. Sharing her knowledge online not only reignited her creativity but also forged meaningful connections with others who resonated deeply with her passions.
Access to online resources has allowed neurodivergent individuals to explore their interests in ways that suit their unique learning styles. From step-by-step videos to self-paced programs, platforms like YouTube and TikTok eliminate the social pressure and repetition of in-person instruction, making specialised learning more accessible and enjoyable.
Neurotypical special interests, such as those seen in preschool-aged children, tend to be developmental and short-lived, peaking early and waning with time. In contrast, Autistic special interests are more enduring and central to a person’s nervous system, often lasting for years or even a lifetime.
The difference between neurotypical and Autistic interests is often in the intensity and systematisation. A neurotypical fan might enjoy an artist like Taylor Swift for their music, while an Autistic fan might systematise and collect detailed knowledge about the artist’s lore, Easter eggs, and symbolism.
“Rediscovering my love for learning gave my special interests the space to thrive. For the first time, I had access to resources, mentors, and a global community that resonated with the things I deeply cared about.”
[00:00:00] Story work
Key takeaways:
Story work involves engaging with the tiny stories of your life as if they are tangible artifacts—examining them from different angles to gain self-awareness, connection, meaning, and healing. It is distinct from memory-keeping, memoir writing, or narrative therapy, offering a dynamic, flexible practice rooted in self-discovery, meaningfulness, and closure.
Marie’s journey with story work began in 2013 when grief over multiple losses sparked a realisation about the voids left behind by meaningful stories that had ended. This inspired a powerful drive to notice and honour her life’s most meaningful stories as she lived them.
Photography became Marie’s first tool for story work. Through intentional photographs of people, places, and objects tied to meaningful stories, she found pre-closure and gratitude, even for things she might lose in the future.
Story work extends beyond photography to include actions like writing letters or sharing meaningful acknowledgments with others. Expressing why someone mattered with a tiny story to back it up is a much stronger, more believable way of saying, “You matter.”
Engaging in story work helps people feel more awake and alive in their lives.
Connect with Marie Masse:
on our About page,
on her website dangerouslygoodstories.com if you’re curious about story work,
or on Instagram @dangerouslygoodstories or @myneurodivergentjoy
Things We Mentioned:
Read Marie’s 5-part series ‘It’s Not Safe to Be Me’ for a deeper look at her trauma through recovery season on her Substack: LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT
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