btw this is what my post says Jenine and anyone not on Linked In

My main special interest is that I like creating things. Right now I am creating a business but in the past I have created software, I have created carvings, I was big big into sewing starting at age 5. I just like making stuff :) I listen the same 5 songs almost every day. it's nothing to do with the songs specifically, they'll change but it's slow, like months or years, they are just songs that I enjoy singing to. Or maybe not necessarily enjoy singing to but I can't help but sing to them. What I mean is even if I am thinking about something else I will find myself singing outloud to them. They are always enjoyable TO sign...different melodies, ways of saying words, etc, it's like vocal stimming...which I did as a child and now that I know about autism it's so obvious. If I had been born nowadays, I would have been diagnosed by some young woke elementary school teacher for sure.But anyway, yeah for sure stimming becuase it is SO regulating, it's one of my very most regulating things.Even if I'm in a bad mood or am genuinely having something to stress about, I will feel better. It's so weird how effective it is. Another special interest...is autism and especially stimming in case that wasn't obvious from my long-winded paragraph above ;) This one is vague but I like things that fit in things. So like, especially when tupperware stacks. I love containers And the outdoors. It's not just nice for me it's required. If I can not get to the woods for a half hour a day, my bucket is just never filled all the way back and everything is tougher. It's like my baseline stress level goes up a notch.

@Jenine Lillian hahaha it's so lame, it's not about the messages in the songs at all. It's funny because I've done this my entire life and only realized what was going on when I started learning about my autism. Now that I know it is a stim, and one of my most effective stims, I play it purposely even when I don't feel like listening to music. In the past it has often been a selection of songs from the same album. For instance Lorde's first album was one, Kendrick Lamar's Love/Lust is one. Mac Miller's albums have been in there. When I was a kid I obsessively listened to my Genesis cassette tape. The songs on my current playlist are (I listen in random order) - Matter of Time - Alex Maher (electronic with literally one vocal phrase) - Dawns - Zach Bryan - Stargazing - DLJ (instrumental - this one there is no vocal stimming but there is a point in the first minute, a noise or sequence of noises, that causes a wave of relaxation to wash over me) - Beautiful Things (Benson Boone) - Nine Ball - Zach Bryan - Something in the Orange - Zach Bryan - When I get there - Big Wild (electronic with vocal noises) - Indigo - Sam Barber https://open.spotify.com/playlist/316L6PqLSg68SsbjIMINse?si=804c045e52a5449d

I'm so glad that you were able to do this work showing up as you :) That's a real special thing! Great interview