Finding A Voice In Words I couldn't spell

Welcome to my First Newsletter

I am Asma Elbadawi, A spoken word poet, sports inclusivity activist/consultant and a visual artist. I wanted to create a space where I can share my knowledge, where my Spelling Mistakes won't be judged and others can hopefully benefit from it too.

I rely heavily on autocorrect and other aid to make sure my spelling is correct and grammar is on point because I spell and write things the way they sound in my head. But in this space the plan is to allow myself to express in my most authentic way.

Several years ago I recived a report, Diagnosing me with Dyslexia. It pointed out my strengths, weaknesses and suggestions on how the university can support me moving forward. I decided to keep this copy with me and refer to it over the years to help me navigate the world outside of my studies.

I am what you can call a text book example of dyslexic. my strenghts rely on long term repetition of tasks to make sure the process is ingrained in my long term memory. because my working memory which you can understand as my short term memory is very weak. remembering information, numbers, directions, dates and times can be difficult at times.

In the workplace it gets difficult to explain sometimes why a 30 min task will take me several hours, or that I need to get on a call to understand a brief better. or why I can't jump from one task to another without a break. You could say those are my Dyslexia weaknesses.

On the other hand I have been gifted with an extremely creative and visual mind. most of my processing and problem solving happens there. using this side of my brain has allowed me to succeed in life, which I will share on my upcoming newsletters, I like to say I found a voice in words I couldn't spell. because the day I discovered poetry was the day I started to express my self through words I couldn't spell, I later combined this form of self expression with imagery and video. it allowed me to amplify my voice and reach people who share the same interests in art, poetry and sport. and most importantly want to contribute to making the world a more equal place for all.

If your interests fall in any of the hashtags on my profile then this newsletter will allow you to learn more about these things from a dyslexics point of view. I look forward to sharing more soon on my next newsletter.

Best Wishes

Asma Elbadawi