A conversation between artist and neurodivergent advocate Dez, known as Loveartpix, based in Manchester (UK) and Picsart’s VP of Product Strategy, Innovation & Experience, Oli Mival.

You’ve spoken before about your autism diagnosis at 41. Now, a few years on, how has your relationship with that identity evolved?

Personally, it’s been about acceptance – and that’s been a big thing. At 41, now I’m 46, I’ve had time to accept it. It’s a big change. I communicate a lot differently to people now. I explain how things impact me, and I’m kind of building up a shield – these layers that help me support myself.

Creatively, it’s changed a lot as well. Once you have the words that describe how you feel and how you process things, that really helps your art. Before, I was diagnosed bipolar for 20 years and those words weren’t really fully how I felt. There was a language barrier, even for myself. Now that I understand it, I can really research and delve into that, and go one way or another with the work. It really, really helps.

How does Picsart specifically work for your neurodivergent brain?

The sticker part of the app is the one I’ve used from the very beginning. When I’m in states of overwhelm and I can’t really focus – when it’s one thought – I’ll type whatever my focus is into the sticker app and it brings up loads of different images. That makes me able to pinpoint how I feel. Then I’ll come off Picsart, research some other stuff, but it gives me a kind of basis. I use that a lot.

The thinking is just added pressure when your head’s chaotic. If you just get one aspect of that and type it in, it gives you a specific route rather than jumping down rabbit holes, which can make it a more negative experience. I can really grasp something out of it. It’s the scaffolding – the basis you can build on.

Has your artistic style evolved over the years?

I do a lot more abstract and layered work now. With Picsart evolving as well, I’ve utilised some of that into it, which makes the standard a lot higher.

I’ve played around with the AI side of things, and the AI takes away the creativity level for me. There’s no point in me just typing a sentence and having AI create it for me – then what am I going to do for the next four hours while I’m having a meltdown? It doesn’t work that way. For me, the process is still pretty much the same but the level is a lot higher now and that’s because Picsart has gotten better. With Picsart getting better, I’ve got better as well.

Is there a piece of work that feels particularly meaningful to you right now?

The school project I’m working on – we’re finishing it this week. That’s been a really important one because it’s not just me. It’s a collaboration. I’m working with six kids, creating them into superheroes. For me, that’s really meaningful. It’s not just my artwork – it’s a collaboration between us both. That means something because I know it means something to them. Art is a tool to help other people, that’s the way I use it.

You’ve worked in schools and prisons. Are there communities you still want to reach?

Once I set up the Neuro Creative Studio, I want to be able to prove that what I’m doing makes a difference. I know for a fact – going through late diagnosis myself, seeing people going through diagnosis in schools – I want referrals. I’m speaking with local MPs now. The Hero Within project might be displayed in the Houses of Parliament.

But the people I really want to reach are those who have been diagnosed late, or who are pre-diagnosis, because there’s not much out there for them. I want to be able to give people a way of creating, a way of processing their thoughts and emotions.

I’m not a person to just moan, there’s no point and it takes too much energy. I want to get to a solution and Picsart has given me the tool to do that. I’m not qualified in anything, I’ve not been to university, but I’ve achieved far more than most people in my field – and I’ve done it with a disability. If I can do it, anybody can.

The scaffolding we didn’t design: A reflection on the conversation by Oli

Every time I’m lucky enough to talk with Dez, I come away thinking differently about what we’re actually building at Picsart. He told me he types a single word into the sticker search when his head’s chaotic, not to make anything, just to find something to hook onto. Nobody designed that feature for that purpose. He just found it, because it was simple enough to be there when he needed it.

That stuck with me.

Dez doesn’t wait around for things to get better. He’s out there turning kids into superheroes, walking into prisons with a phone and an idea, and building a Neuro Creative Studio from scratch – all while navigating a world that still doesn’t quite know how to support him. No qualifications, no formal training, just a relentless belief that creativity can do more than people give it credit for. And honestly, he’s proving it every week.

I’m glad Picsart gets to be part of his toolkit. But really, he’s the one teaching us.

Be sure to take note of Dez’s exhibitions this Summer, and follow him for more updates including the upcoming documentary on Instagram – @loveartpix

  • April 30th 2026 – The Hero Within Art Exhibition Piccadilly Place, Manchester UK
  • May 14th 2026 – Neurodivergent Rehabilitation Exhibition, Spinningfields, Manchester UK
  • June 22nd 2026 – The Hero Within Art Exhibition, AirePark, Leeds 12:00-16:00 (running for 2 weeks) with workshops for children.