165 - Wired Differently: Building a Freelance Photography Career While Neurodivergent

What does it really mean to be a neurodivergent freelancer in photography? In this episode of The Nerdy Photographer, we talk openly about ADHD, autism, burnout, structure, creativity, and building a freelance career that works with your brain - not against it. If traditional advice has never worked for you, this conversation might finally make sense. What We Talk About in This Episode This interview covers the real-world realities of neurodivergent freelancing, including: Managing energy, attention, and overwhelm Creating structure without rigidity Navigating client communication and expectations Redefining success outside traditional productivity models Letting go of comparison and "shoulds" Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, this conversation encourages photographers to design careers that reflect how they actually function. Redefining Professionalism Being professional doesn't mean masking. It doesn't mean burning yourself out to meet arbitrary standards. And it doesn't mean copying how others work. For neurodivergent photographers, sustainability often comes from self-awareness, boundaries, and permission to work differently. This episode is a reminder that there is no single way to be a "real" photographer - or a successful freelancer. Episode Promos This episode contains promos for: On1 Photo Raw - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/on1/ Siteground Web Hosting - https://siteground.com/go/nerdy StyleCloud WP Website Themes - https://stylecloud.co/ref/380/ Adorama - https://nerdyphotographer.com/recommends/adorama Support The Nerdy Photographer Want to help The Nerdy Photographer Podcast? Here are a few simple (and mostly free) ways you can do that: Subscribe to the podcast! Tell your friends about the podcast Sign up for the newsletter - https://nerdyphotographer.com/newsletter Subscribe to our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@CaseyFatchett Buy a print from the print shop - https://art.caseyfphoto.com Follow on Instagram - https://instagram.com/thenerdyphoto Follow on Threads - https://threads.net/@thenerdyphoto Follow on BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/thenerdyphoto.bsky.social Follow in Tiktok - https://tiktok.com/@thenerdyphoto Get some Nerdy Photographer merchandise - https://nerdyphoto.dashery.com If you're feeling extra generous, check out our support page - https://nerdyphotographer.com/support-nerdy-photographer/ About My Guest Aly Hansen is a wedding photographer who specializes in film photography and a true documentary approach. You can view Aly's work on her website - https://alyhansenphoto.com - or on Instagram https://instagram.com/alyhansenweddings About The Podcast The Nerdy Photographer Podcast is written and produced by Casey Fatchett. Casey is a professional photographer in the New York City / Northern New Jersey with more than 20 years of experience. He just wants to help people and make them laugh. You can view Casey's wedding work at https://fatchett.com or his non-wedding work at https://caseyfatchettphotography.com    If you have any questions or comments about this episode or any other episodes, OR if you would like to ask a photography related question or have ideas for a topic for a future episode, please reach out to us at https://nerdyphotographer.com/contact