How do you actually start worldbuilding (as an autistic person)?
Hi worldbuilding enthusiasts, I've got a question I hope you can help me with.
Lately, I've got a fantasy based itch I can't quite scratch. When I was a teenager, I indulged myself in anime to enjoy otherworldly stories. As I got older, I started to shift more towards fantasy. I started watching some movies and reading some books. However, the big game changer for me was the fact I started to play D&D, because it allowed me to take my own ideas and bring them to life. A discovery that felt incredible!
For a long time, that hobby has been able to satisfy my need for creative expression. However, recently (the last few months) D&D has taken a back burner, as I've had to pause things to move into a new home. That's now behind me, and I'm trying to pick things up again. However, I've started to notice I've developed a different kind of itch. I've got a lot of concepts in my head, things to build a world with, make characters with, that I want to use for something.
However, I can't play D&D everyday. I need other players for that, schedules need to align up, etc. So, that lead me here: worldbuilding. But the thing I'm running into is, how do I actually do this? My whole life, just starting a project with an empty space has been challenging for me. As an autistic person, I love guidance, lists, rules, frameworks, you name it. I also believe this is why D&D caught on to me so well, because there are rules in place to bring structure to working out fantasy concepts.
I'm not claiming all autistic people are the same, but for me, the creative freedom actually proves to be a difficult thing to deal with. I was hoping that perhaps, somebody else has faced the same challenge and has figured out how to get around it. I look forward to anybody sharing tips, tricks or other guidance.
Thanks in advance <3