NEURO SPICY COLLECTIVE
Stories, ideas, conversations, and reflections about building a community where different minds can connect, create, and belong.
We're figuring this out as we go. Come along for the journey.
OUR FIRST STORY
Our Journey
It all started with a phone call, a crazy idea, and a question. What if we could build a community where people with different ways of thinking could bring their creativity, passions, and ideas together without judgment?
This is the story of how a conversation at Wendy's house turned into the beginning of something much bigger.
Read the storyOUR SECOND STORY
Neurodiversity
The short answer is: it’s a fun, informal way of talking about brains that don’t always work the “standard” way.
The longer answer is a little more interesting. Let's talk about neurodiversity, different minds, and why different doesn't mean less.
Read the articleOUR THIRD STORY
Our Vision
Neuro Spicy Collective started with the idea of building a community. But the dream is bigger than a website.
We're beginning the journey toward Neuro Spicy Awareness, with a vision for education, outreach, community events, and real-world neurodiversity awareness.
Read the storyOUR FOURTH STORY
Our Journey
Turning a vision into reality means finding somewhere to build it. Our first search for land led us to a 104-acre property in Clatskanie with a waterfall, two streams, timber, and plenty of unexpected surprises.
We learned a lot about zoning, due diligence, financing, and what it really takes to turn an idea into something tangible.
Read the storyOUR FIFTH STORY
Our Journey
Before we buy the land, I figured I should probably learn how to farm it. An Oregon State University Extension course opened my eyes to the realities of farming, from labor and infrastructure to the challenge of actually making a profit.
Then came the homesteading rabbit hole, regenerative agriculture, no-till gardening, permaculture, and the idea of starting small with half an acre of intensive specialty herbs.
Read the storyOUR SIXTH STORY
Our Journey
I was skeptical of artificial intelligence. Then a rural property, a collection of zoning codes, and a thousand questions left me genuinely stumped.
This is how ChatGPT became a tool for learning, building, and turning the Neuro Spicy Collective dream into something tangible—without making the concerns about AI disappear.
Read the storyOUR SEVENTH STORY
Neurodiversity & AI
AI is patient. AI is nonjudgmental. There is no awkward look when you need something explained again. So could some autistic people find communicating with AI easier or more productive?
From social robots and workplace studies to new trials using large language models, we went down the research rabbit hole to see what science actually says.
Read the storyOUR EIGHTH STORY
AI & Our Journey
It started with one lazy Sunday morning and a perfectly reasonable idea: build a simple spreadsheet to track grants and loans.
Then ChatGPT wrote a 1,500-word prompt, Gemini built a Funding Intelligence System, and somehow the morning ended with cookies, frosting, sprinkles, and an imaginary AI Innovation Award.
Read the storyOUR NINTH STORY
Building NeuroSpicy
The grand plan had departments, managers, databases, procedures, and enough administrative machinery to look very official.
It also became a bureaucratic monster. This is what happened when organization became the problem—and why starting again can mean starting with better information.
Read the storyCOMING SOON
As Neuro Spicy Collective grows, so will the stories we share here.
What does it actually take to create a community where people feel seen, heard, and welcome?
Why bringing different ways of thinking together can make the whole stronger.
The ideas, challenges, surprises, and possibilities we'll discover along the way.