Million views on my site in September.

But none turned to subscribers or became deeply engaged.

Drags up feelings from childhood, able to get a laugh, but always feeling disconnected.

Connection doesn't always happen for me.

But when it does, it’s magic.

Life Doesn’t Have a Reset Button But Boy, Oh Boy, Did I Keep Pushing It Anyway

Childhood me: hitting the reset button on every video game.

Adult me: learning life has no reset button.

Neurodivergence explains a lot, but embracing the messy moments is still the real win.

I explore it in my latest 'Life on the Balcony'.

#ADHD #Autism #Neurodivergence #NoResetButton

Why Yes, It is Even More Misleading But Accurate Descriptions of Popular Movies Misleading but accurate descriptions of famous movies—from Frozen to Logan—fun, clever, and guaranteed to make you rethink every plot twist.

Are you annoyed when movie descriptions seem to spoil the whole story?

I’m here to fix that with some misleading but accurate movie descriptions. Now up on 'Beyond the Balcony'.

#Film #Movies #MovieHumor #PopCulture #Writing #BeyondTheBalcony #FilmCommunity #IndieWriter #MovieFans

What Have You Done Today? Exploring how ADHD, overwhelm, and perfectionism shape productivity, and why invisible effort still counts as real accomplishment.

“What have you done today?”

The question sends me back to the classroom, where a teacher is staring at my unfinished page, radiating annoyance and shame.

I unpack the weight of that question in my latest 'Beyond the Balcony' post.

#Neurodivergent #ADHD #AuDHD #MentalHealth #InvisibleWork

The Unseen Struggle is Still a Struggle

My latest 'Beyond the Bacony' explores how high-masking autistics are too often labeled instead of supported.

We all need more understanding and less judgment, especially for invisible struggles.

#ActuallyAutistic #HighMaskingAutistic #Neurodiversity #InvisibleChallenges #MentalHealth

Feelings

I never stop feeling.

Textures. Emotions. Relationships. Moments.

My new poem on 'Beyond the Balcony' captures them all. Maybe it’ll stir something in you, too.

#Poetry #CreativeWriting #Emotions #BeyondTheBalcony #MentalHealth #Neurodiversity

48 Things I Love

To celebrate my birthday, I shared 48 things I love; one for each of my years on this planet. 💙

Read it on Beyond the Balcony!

#BirthdayPost #BeyondTheBalcony #WritingCommunity #PopCulture #Gratitude #CreativeLife #NeurodivergentJoy

‘Low Support’ Not ‘No Support’: The Sometimes Invisible Struggle Why Yes, I’m Writing About My AuDHD Instead of Movies or Pop Culture… Again

My latest 'Life on the Balcony' explores the often hidden struggles of being autistic and ADHD. A reminder: low support doesn’t mean no support.

If it resonates, please consider subscribing.

#Autism #ADHD #Neurodivergence #MentalHealth #LifeOnTheBalcony

What Happened to Dorothy Bell? The fading of the found footage craze makes What Happened to Dorothy Bell? stand out amid the sea of supernatural indie horror in 2025.

I finally got to review a horror movie for The Video Librarian! 🎥👻

Check out my thoughts on the supernatural found footage feature, 'What Happened to Dorothy Bell?'

#HorrorMovies #FoundFootage #IndieHorror #FilmReview #MovieReview #ScaryMovies #IndependentFilm #MediaLiteracy #VideoLibrarian

"Why Is This So Easy for Everyone Else?": 10 ADHD and Autism Habits That Shape My Everyday Life

'I’m Autistic, Now What?' video perfectly captured so many ADHD realities; it inspired my latest Beyond the Balcony post, where I look at 10 daily ADHD habits and how they show up in my life.

#ADHD #AuDHD #Neurodivergent #ADHDLife #Neurodiversity #ADHDAwareness #AutismAcceptance #BeyondTheBalcony

Pay Christopher Spicer using PayPal.Me Go to paypal.me/ChristopherDSpicer and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

After years of autistic burnout, I’m rebuilding my career. But a collection agency is chasing me for $1,840, and I don’t have it right now.

If my work has ever connected, please consider supporting me:

PayPal: paypal.me/ChristopherDSpicer
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/christopherdspicer

The Mask I Wore; The Pain I Hid A Poetic Look at Life Undiagnosed with Autism & ADHD

My latest 'Life on the Balcony' is a deeply personal poetic look at what it feels like to live decades high-masking autism and ADHD.

If you’ve ever worn a mask just to belong, this one’s for you. I leave my heart in this one, so it would mean a lot if you'd read it.

Hey Look! Ads!

My latest 'Beyond the Balcony' post declares the arrival of ads. I explain my decision and the importance of valuing our work as creators. It's believing my stories, and the weird pop culture rabbit holes have worth.

#WritingCommunity #NeurodivergentWriter #BeyondTheBalcony

When Heartbreak, Losing, and Rejection Is a Win Also: Wasn’t November Supposed to Be the Paid Tier Launch?

⚾In my latest 'Life on the Balcony', I explore what the Blue Jays taught me about perseverance, rejection, and hope, and how those lessons shape my own creative journey.💙

#BlueJays #WritingLife #Perseverance #Creativity #LifeOnTheBalcony

Blue Jays, Upsets, and Believing Again We’ll See How Well This Ages

Win or lose, the Blue Jays made me believe again. 💙⚾

After 32 years, this incredible season reminded me what it feels like to hope, root for an underdog, and believe in yourself.

I wrote about it in my 'Life on the Balcony' Substack.

#BlueJays #Baseball #WorldSeries #NeurodivergentCreator

Simulating Religious Violence The concept of a simulation that predicts and prevents terrorist attacks instantly evokes Minority Report, and the connection is even made by an expert early on in the documentary Simulating Religious...

In my latest 'Video Librarian' review, I explore 'Simulating Religious Violence', a powerful documentary about researchers using simulations to understand which communities are most vulnerable to extremist recruitment.

#Documentary #FilmReview #VideoLibrarian #TechForGood #SocialImpactFilm

How I Survived Thanks to Movies, Storytelling, and Writing Yet Another Peek Inside My AuDHD Party

In my latest 'Life on the Balcony' Substack post, I share how movies, storytelling, and writing became lifelines for surviving and connecting as an undiagnosed AuDHDer.

#AuDHD #Neurodivergence #Movies #WritingLife #Autism #ADHD #Storytelling

Open to a Miracle, Or At Least Some Quick Turnaround Work

I am grateful for the discovery that the years of mental health challenges came from my undiagnosed autism and ADHD.

It has also left me in a rough financial state. I get vulnerable and ask for some help or potential work in my latest Beyond the Balcony.

What AuDHD Is Like

I’ve often been called scattered, sensitive, or intense.

But life with AuDHD is like trying to organize thoughts in a thunderstorm with everything’s loud, bright, fast, and fleeting.

My latest Beyond the Balcony essay explores what that feels like.

#AuDHD #Neurodiversity #BeyondTheBalcony

Art is Empathy: Why Good Criticism Matters Also, What the Heck Is Up with the Newsletter’s Title?

Roger Ebert’s idea of movies as “empathy machines” has been a guiding star for my writing.

In my latest 'Life on the Balcony' newsletter, I explore why storytelling and criticism matter, and how art connects us.

#FilmCriticism #EmpathyInArt #Storytelling #RogerEbert

Phineas & Ferb Proves All Art Means Something — Even When It’s Silly And My First Superkick to the Algorithm Wizards

Phineas & Ferb isn’t just silly summer fun; it champions imagination, creativity, and kindness.

I wrote about the surprising lessons inside this joyful, inventive show in my latest 'Life on the Balcony' post. If you like it, please consider subscribing.

The Great Writer Conundrum: Looking for Acceptance While Remaining True to Self

My latest 'Beyond the Balcony' piece explores that lifelong tug between wanting to belong and staying true to yourself.

As a neurodivergent creator, acceptance has always been both my motivation and my fear.

If you’ve ever felt the same, this one’s for you.

Life on the Balcony | Christopher Spicer | Substack Life, movies, and a little imagination; Christopher Spicer’s companion to Beyond the Balcony. Click to read Life on the Balcony, by Christopher Spicer, a Substack publication. Launched 16 hours ago.

Just launched my new Substack: Life on the Balcony 🎬

Free all October; packed with essays, reviews, and stories that expand on Beyond the Balcony. Paid tier with exclusives coming in November.

Come check out the view 👉 spicedawg.substack.com

Do You Feel That? It’s Time for Some Changes!

I’ve been promising changes at Beyond the Balcony for years… and now they’re finally here.

Ads, a tip jar, a future Patreon, and most exciting of all—a new Substack newsletter: Life on the Balcony.

Read more about what’s next.

My Elementary School Nightmare: I Was the 'Bad' Student Even When I Tried to Be a Good One

New post on Beyond the Balcony:

School wasn’t just tests and rules; it was a maze of expectations I didn’t understand.

This is a personal and vulnerable return to childhood when I didn't know I was neurodivergent and struggling to survive school.

Pay Christopher Spicer using PayPal.Me Go to paypal.me/ChristopherDSpicer and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

🚨 Urgent: I need to raise $2K by Monday. 🚨

I’m opening spots for quick-turnaround writing:
✍️ Stories, blogs, social posts, essays

If you've loved my site or podcast, you can also support me: paypal.me/ChristopherDSpicer

Full story: www.beyondbalcony.com/2025/09/reac...

The Breakdown of Movies' Impact on My Neurodivergence

🎬 This week on 'The Movie Breakdown', I reveal how my neurodivergence shaped my lifelong relationship with movies, from being a special interest, connecting with outsiders on screen, and the ways film has been my safe place.

#Podcast #NeurodivergentVoices #Movies

The Route: From China to America For librarians and educators, this short but weighty documentary offers a human-centered perspective on immigration at a moment when the subject remains politically charged.

🎬 I’m now a film critic for The Video Librarian!

My first review is for 'The Route: From China to America', a documentary following Chinese asylum seekers on a trek through 9 Latin American countries to reach the US.

#FilmCritic #DocumentaryFilm #ImmigrationStories #MovieReview #TheVideoLibrarian

A Video That Explains Why I've Felt Exhausted by “Easy” Things

“Easy” things aren’t always easy.

I felt so seen watching this Auticate with Chris & Debby video that I wrote about my own experiences with all 5.

Check out my piece over at 'Beyond the Balcony'.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #NeurodivergentVoices

An AuDHD Video That Explains Why I Went Undiagnosed for Decades

In my latest 'Beyond the Balcony' post, I share a video from AuDHDHub that explores why many go undiagnosed. I then reflect on my own childhood, burnout, and what unmasking means for me. 💙