Photo courtesy of: Connor Marek

Marek showing off his new book, “Wired Differently,” at John Rolfe Middle School.

When you think about art in Deep Run, you might think of the murals along the halls, or maybe our yearly musicals. Junior Connor Marek found a new and exciting way to express himself through his recently self-published graphic novel “Wired Differently.”

   “Wired Differently” is about Leo, a neurodivergent young boy who struggles with behavior and attention skills. One day, Leo finds a poster about robotics that reads, “Everyone is welcome.” Although he believes only people who are already well-versed in robotics can join, he goes anyway. Leo ends up meeting new people and finding friends he might not have otherwise met.

  While this story follows the fictional character of Leo, it actually represents Marek’s personal experiences.

   “Being a part of Blue Cheese Robotics after coming from a heavily restricted area made me realize how important it was that all kids had this type of opportunity. I wanted to communicate to these younger kids how important it is to take advantage of these opportunities,” Marek said.

   Marek hopes that kids will leave his graphic novel with the understanding of the importance of being authentic and surrounding yourself with supportive people. 

   “I hope that kids will take away, especially with neurodivergence, that it’s okay to be different, and that it is important that you find that group of people that won’t only accept your differences, but celebrate them as well,” Marek said.

   Although writing the book itself was enjoyable, getting it self-published was a bit trickier for Marek.

   “[The] challenges that occurred mainly occurred with publishing; getting the ISBN number was a little tricky,” Marek said.

   Marek advises inspiring authors to be their true selves through and through. 

   “Put yourself out there and don’t mask anything about you. If you tell the truth about yourself, you’ll find that group that’ll support you no matter what,” Marek said.

   Marek is currently distributing free copies throughout elementary and middle schools. Although Marek doesn’t currently have any plans to publish a second book, you can find out more about “Wired Differently” on his website: https://www.wireddifferentlychildrensbook.com/.