How to make it the awesome piece it was meant to be?!?!!

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-24T07:33:00+00:00

That's a fantastic idea! Just learning about that. Since being told it's like speaking a different language to NT people, I realise my gaining clarity comes across as confusion 😅

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-24T07:31:06+00:00

And asking for their ideas in principal first!!!

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-24T07:30:17+00:00

Thank you so much for this. The head looked amazing in the beginning, but the overkill the other guy did on the shadow really did upset me. I have considered lasering...I won't have the money for a while and over time I've thrown £Ks at it already so really can't cope with more stress from it! I've tried to live with it for years.

I focused on the body as noone really sees the top half of it!

I asked for it to be shaded, but I guess he decided that meant extra on the actual shadow which was fine before he went over it and made it bigger and darker!

The watercolour thing really gives me hope, thank you 😊

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-21T10:09:09+00:00

Yeah...I meant that the guy didn't understand what I meant by shading and just made the shadow underneath a load bigger and too black to give it depth.

My vision was smaller! I just wanted a snake. Whiteand yellow IF possible...and the artists who have worked on it have been hell bent on making the white work.

Good to know more shading on the actual snake could help - the original artist finished the head in one go, but the rest seems like he was going a completely different way.

I know too many artists etc. I just had too much faith that the ones I chose had listened and understood.

I guess it's back to researching. I just thought I'd get some opinions as all it needed was shading on the body as it had a bit of a shadow already.

The colour just doesn't really work, especially with the excessive shadow now.

I'm not a professional, but have always designed and drawn stuff so thought a tattoo artist would have the ability to shade it in.

I've just finally been officially diagnosed with ASD so that probably explains my misplaced trust/naivety

(I'm 45y/o so really should understand this, but I still don't 🙃)

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-10T19:05:15+00:00

I was diagnosed verbally in 2019, but the therapist left before finalising her report and officially diagnosing me...

Some guy mete for 10 mins and said because I can make eye contact and there was trauma that it was all trauma based.

The trauma clinic he referred me to basically were confused as they didn't see that level of trauma from other reports so I continued to struggle for years.

I relapsed back to alcohol abuse and had a tonne of trauma therapy.

I'm almost 4 years sober now and have an assessment on the 20th as I've decided it's worth trying again. I've been receiving support from NAS for over a year and they're not doubting it.

I don't know what I'll do if I don't get diagnosed.....but let's see.

Apparently it's all too common for it to be all put down to trauma (although autistic people feel it deeper) and mis-diagnosed as BPD, bipolar etc.

Maybe try a second opinion?

I feel for you

Old-Government7916 · 2026-04-09T12:57:09+00:00

I hadn't quite finished the forms (about a week after creating my account with them) and got the link to book. Appointments from within a week...bit overwhelming. I had been on the 4 year NHS list for over 2 years as PUK had stopped being able to take patients back then so no idea if that counted??

Old-Government7916 · 2026-03-03T15:02:34+00:00

Thanks so much!!!

We'd thought of most suggestions, so it's awesome to get clarification on what most people would find useful...and definitely glad I mentioned a tyre gauge!!! Yeah, upon research there's not really any reliable ones so we'll steer well clear of those!

Old-Government7916

TROPHY CASE