Hey there, my wise friends and thanks so much for joining me for another episode of Collective Wisdom. April 2nd was World Autism Awareness Day. And this week I'm sharing the story of Charlotte Crawford, who is also known as the autistic artist.   Charlotte is a real inspiration to me, as her story is one of courage, creativity and determination. As you'll hear, she found school particularly difficult and spent most of the time feeling isolated and anxious. Eventually, her mental health issues became so severe that she was hospitalized.   Autism is now known to present very differently in autistic women and girls. And Charlotte is fortunate that she eventually received a correct diagnosis. As so many women and girls go under the radar and as a result don't get access to the support they need to help them navigate the challenges of being autistic.   In a world that doesn't quite fit for Charlotte. It was only when she was able to show up as her true self and embrace her differences, that she was able to find some real happiness and success. I'm so grateful to Charlotte for trusting me with her story, as I know that it will help others who are perhaps struggling with the same issues to feel less invisible and alone. And as she says, it's her hope that they don't feel they have to suffer in silence.   Charlotte Crawford’s Website: The Autistic Artist   The Square Peg Community Podcast with Amy Richards   Christine McGinness: Unmasking my autism on BBC iPlayer   Chris Packham: Inside our autistic minds on BBC iPlayer   Music: ‘Clair de Lune’ by Claude Debussy   Wisdom : ‘The top of one mountain is the bottom of another’ Life is made up of peaks and troughs