A black and white image of a human with short hair, wearing big retro reading glasses. They are looking directly at the camera lens with a neutral expression and partially in shadow. The light is illuminating the human's face in a diagonal direction coming from the top right of the image.

A black and white image of a human with short hair, wearing big retro reading glasses. They are looking directly at the camera lens with a neutral expression and partially in shadow. The light is illuminating the human’s face in a diagonal direction coming from the top right of the image.

About Me

I’m Jackie Venus—illustrator/artist, advocate, and a multiply‑disabled person navigating life in Appalachian poverty. I’m AuDHD (autistic and ADHD), identify as non‑binary (AFAB), and live with CPTSD, PCOS, MCAS and numerous other invisible disabilities—all of which influence how I have to navigate the world daily. I have been on SSDI for over 16 years and have stories to tell about how dehumanizing that existence truly is. I’ve always dabbed in a little bit of everything in the arts, but since 2017 I’ve been teaching myself illustration on freeware programs here and there and am finally ready to start putting my art out into the world. Vector art is now my medium of choice now. After being diagnosed autistic in 2019, I began immersing myself in autism research online and made connections I never thought possible. In 2024 I was hired for a part‑time role as a co‑researcher and then as illustrator on the same project in 2025 for a peer‑reviewed publication that is now close to submission. I never imagined I could combine my two top special interests without holding a degree in either field. It’s been an honor to connect with the professionals and peers I’ve met. For someone who was constantly told I wasn’t good enough for such spaces, I sometimes still doubt myself.