June has been a re-defining kind of a month.
For decades, I’ve been a passionate do-er of many things. I’ve done, and continue to do, a great many things. But over the years, I’ve hesitated when asked, “What do you do for work?” The answer would often sound fluffy or would shift month to month depending on what I was working on. “A whole bunch of things,” I’d grin.
I’ve juggled multiple careers at once, some neatly connected, some running in parallel, others seemingly obscure. I am complex, but like all complex things, I’m made up of many parts. And I love that.
So welcome to julielegg.nz: the whole of me, not just an author.
If you’ve landed here via The Missing Piece, welcome.
If you’ve come across from Rediscover, hello again – you’ve already met me and my gumboots.
If you’ve found me through the music by OLDER, hey!
If you’ve listed to a podcast or two of ADHDifference and were curious to put a face to the voice, yes, you’ve come to the right place.
Reclaiming the Archives
One of my favourite things this month has been rummaging through old acting photos and screen grabs from “yesteryear” (the polite way of saying “a time when I had wilder hair and far fewer laugh lines”). There’s a strange joy in rediscovering past selves and realising they never really left. They just made space for the next project.
I’ll be sharing more in the coming months as I paw through old cartons. Not as a highlight reel, but as breadcrumbs…little signposts from the many versions of Julie that have existed along the way. Here’s one.
I’m delighted to share that I’ve signed with an actor’s agent this month, my first step back into that world after nearly a decade away. Fingers crossed that I’ll be back on screen sometime, in some way or form.
A Word on ADHD
Something quietly wonderful happened a few months ago, and I’m finally ready to share it.
I was invited to take part in a DIVA-5 ADHD research study. For those who may not know, DIVA-5 is an ADHD-specific diagnostic interview guide based on the DSM-5 criteria. Given how often girls and women are missed in traditional diagnostic pathways, this study aims to better reflect what we now know: that ADHD often presents differently in women.
It’s an honour to be contributing to this study, working alongside coaches, psychologists, and therapists under the guidance of a brilliant PhD candidate based in the Netherlands. I’ll share more as the research unfolds.
So, that was June: a month of naming, claiming, and sharing all the weird and wonderful sides of myself.
And it feels really good.
Thanks for being here.
Julie x